It Takes Two to Make a Heart
by Suisho x Hirako Shinji 2
Summary: I didn't ask for all this: To be enrolled as a guy in an all guy's school and for an undercover war between my school and another. But most of all, I didn't ask for one man to ruin my arranged marriage and turn my world upside down... Kurosaki Ichigo.
1. Berry Bad Beginnings

**Super-long-author-note: **Hey readers, for those of you who know me, (I doubt you will, I only posted my first fic couple of hours ago) this is my second fanfiction on this site! This one is more light-hearted than the first, but will get progressively serious as it goes on. It's a Rukia-harem of sorts, but the main couple is Ichiruki. Lots of jealousy and flirting in a school setting, kind of like a shoujo manga. I'm probably not going to update this too often, seeing as the chapters will have to be long for my plot to work. I'll need time with them. And just to let you know, I'm not good with plot twists, so don't keep your hopes up for a thriller drama fanfic. I'll try somehow though.

I've always wanted to try writing a school-setting romance fanfic with my favorite couple, Ichiruki. I hope this satisfies a lot of my readers!

Some other things I'll mention here. I'm a big supporter of correct mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization). If you see any mistakes in mechanics or grammar in my works, feel free to notify me. I won't get mad, in fact, I'd be glad if someone would help. I want to learn from my mistakes, and it's better if someone else points it out for you.

I'm not review-hungry, so I won't nag you guys for any. But I'd like to voice the opinions I think most authors on this site have: We don't always want reviews saying "Update, please!" or "That was sexy!", etc. Most of us want to know how we did, where we can improve on, and what elements to keep and expand upon. A lot of the authors' goals on this site are to have fun sharing and reading stories. So please, the next time you are moved or impressed enough to write a review, write a little bit more, no matter how short, like: "You have good humor!" It makes a lot of positive difference. :)

Before this review gets any longer, I'll end it. **Please check my profile** for more info. I might set up a poll in the near future.

This is rated **T** for language.

**UPDATE: **For returning readers, welcome back and sorry for my extremely long absence. If you plan to reread the whole story, please go ahead, but if you are to skip to the latest chapter, you'll see I have a few things to mention since my long break. Rest assured that nothing has changed except minor mechanical errors I spotted in each chapter. Long story short, due to health issues and some problems with accessing my former account, I have made a new account and will upload all I had previously uploaded on my original account, and will hopefully be able to continue updating this fic.

To newcomers, welcome and I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I do when I write it. I have other fics available, but they are unlikely to be updated anytime soon in favor of prioritizing this one. Happy reading!

**ANY CONTESTS MENTIONED FROM CHAPTERS 1 THROUGH 8 ARE COMPLETED AND THEREFORE CLOSED AND VOID.**

**I AM NOT A RIPOFF ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR "SUISHO x HIRAKO SHINJI". I AM THAT VERY AUTHOR WHO HAS MADE A SECOND ACCOUNT TO REPLACE HER CURRENTLY INACCESSIBLE ORIGINAL ACCOUNT.**

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**It Takes Two to Make a Heart - Berry Bad Beginnings **

It was only Rukia's first day at high school, and already, she could list two out of a number of reasons she would discover later, why she hated being at this particular school.

She encountered the first of these reasons within her first hundred steps on the campus.

Rukia stopped to admire the lush scenery around her, noticing the well-kept flowers and grass and the beautiful mix of trees, some familiar, and some that, by all circumstances, should not have been possible. For example, the willow tree to her right. She gasped in appreciation of its delicate drooping branches, soft trunk and aura of tranquility. Then her eyes alighted upon the group of boys lounging under the tree, sipping cans of coke and laughing at the loudest burps. Etiquette of ladies told her that such an action was rude, whether for men or women, but she couldn't help but want to join their contest. She shook her head at this.

_Idiot, this is not what I came here for._ It was then she came to realize the first of her reasons for hating her new school.

Boys. Lots and lots of boys.

Her mind screeched to a halt, and she frantically recalled all that she had seen on her first walk into campus. She had seen boys by the school entrance, and hadn't thought much about it, entranced as she was by the large school. She also faintly recalled seeing some boys not 10 feet from the gates inside the campus grounds, but again had been distracted by the sheer size of the school. When she had spotted the group of boys under the willow tree however, she suddenly realized something.

There were boys. There were boys in a school that was NOT supposed to have boys. She was NOT supposed to be in a school with _boys_.

Crap.

Agitated, she started marching to the school in blind haste, determined to get to the office, and to the bottom of this confusion. What she did get, however, was a bump with what seemed to be a hard, solid wall.

"Ack!" she cried as she fell on her bottom. At the same moment she fell down, she was grateful she was not wearing a uniform skirt, but pants. She sweatdropped when she realized that that should have been another clue that she was at a school with boys, though at the time she had received it, she had been too happy to not wear a skirt, those difficult and trying pieces of clothing women were so fond of. Not that she wasn't a woman; in fact, she was a very respectable-

"Hey! At least apologize!"

Anger swelled up within her. Who was this oaf, this stupid fool to deny her a moment to reflect and realize? She jumped up and took in a deep breath, preparing to yell, when she stopped dead, with her mouth agape like a fish.

"Are you gonna apologize or what?" demanded the tall man.

Wait a minute.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Wait a minute. She knew this guy.

"Oi! Don't ignore me!"

She knew this guy, this loud, tall, argumentative, _orange-haired_ guy.

Oh, crap.

"You midget!"

Right then and there, she found her second reason that day for hating this school.

"I'll make you listen to me, or my name isn't...!"

Oh, _crap_.

"_Kurosaki Ichigo!_"


	2. Buttons Pop Proposals?

**Not-so-long-author-note: **Hey! This is the 2nd chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, **so please read the author note below**.

This is rated **T**.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

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**Buttons Pop… Proposals?**

"And? What is the meaning of this, Kurosaki Ichigo-san, Kuchiki Rukia-san? It'd better be good. There is an assembly in 10 minutes, files to be graded, people to be called, more files, and I _really_ do _not_ have the time to deal with such misconduct, and on the first day of school already!"

The stern school secretary Ise Nanao appeared flushed for a moment at her outburst, but composed herself so quickly that Rukia dismissed it as a trick on her eyes. Like she hoped the male sitting next to her was. She glared at Ichigo who was neither sitting up straight nor slouching in the comfy chair, looking utterly indifferent to the whole matter.

The office they were in was spacious and airy, due to the tall glass windows on the walls in front and to the left of them. Pristine white birds flew by and the breeze ruffled the tree branches like an older brother ruffling his younger brother's hair. A quick glance at the interior of the office bespoke of money, from the clearly top-notch mahogany wood desk, guest sofas, and various famous paintings dotting the cream-colored walls. It was a nice place to be sure, and without much clutter, but Rukia wished she could leave already. It was all the orange-haired idiot's fault, she fumed.

"_I'm not going easy just because you're a small gu-! Wait. What?"_

_He looked on in shock as Rukia picked herself and her messenger bag up from the ground, dusting her clothes and looking at him with equal shock._

"_What the, you're a girl. No, besides that, did you call me? How do you know me?" He squinted at her with a doubtful expression. "You're not a fangirl by any chance, are you?"_

_Rukia flushed, before she replied in a flustered manner "N-no! Who would want to be _your_ fangirl anyways?"_

_Ichigo stomped closer until he was right in front of her, peering down at her small stature. Rukia did not back down however, and glared up at him defiantly. And suddenly kicked him in the shins._

"_Ow! Why, you-!" He opened his mouth to yell more, but was interrupted with a smack upside his head by a rolled up newspaper. He whirled around, snarling, only to stiffen and bow to the clearly angry secretary. And that's how their current predicament came to be…_

She turned to Secretary Nanao and raised her hand in a timid manner with an equally timid expression. Ichigo, who had been watching her out of the corner of his eye, started in surprise. _What the, what is she doing? She's definitely not that shy, _he thought. Not if his bruised and aching shins were anything to go by. She packed one heck of a kick, that was for sure. He guessed big things came in small packages after all.

"M-miss Ise-san?"

His jaw dropped open, and now stared at her openly in incredulity. What was up with that fake, sugary sweet voice? Her acting skills were also a few meters short of the stick, he concluded.

"Yes?" answered the secretary briskly, happy that one of them had finally spoken up. "What is it?" "Truth is," continued Rukia, helping herself to a tissue in front of her and dabbing at the nonexistent tears on her eyes, "I came to this school by accident. I did not know this wasn't my school." Nanao blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? I thought it was a uniform mix-up that was the issue," she remarked. "What school should you be at, where do you live, and who is your guardian?" she continued.

Ichigo meanwhile was pondering over the words he had just heard. She was still using that fake voice of hers, but it looked to him as if she was telling the truth. In that case, how bad was his or her school system to botch her first day this badly? And while he had hardly seen his school secretary, he was inclined to believe she would never have allowed a slip-up of this measure.

Rukia suddenly grew cautious, and answered after a brief pause. "Karakura Institute for Ladies. I expected to live in the dorms of my school and my guardian is… Kuchiki Byakuya." Both Ichigo and Nanao jolted in shock.

Kuchiki? _The_ Kuchiki? According to what little Ichigo had read about him, he was among a group of wealthy, influential PhD professors of different areas called the Gotei 13, or the 13 Court Divisions, but weren't just limited to that. These "Captains" were highly capable in athletics, the arts and many other talents. Each had their own company that were mostly independent of each other, but were a solid, unified community. It was the dream of every aspiring student to work directly under them.

Kuchiki Byakuya was one of the most aloof and famous of them, and said to be very demanding. So this little girl was _related_ to such a mogul? Impossible. What was with her composure then? It was almost an antithesis to Byakuya!

Nanao cleared her throat. "There is no Karakura Institute for Ladies, but there _is_ one for boys. We have yet to make plans for a ladies institute. Perhaps you or Byakuya-san wrote the name of the school down wrong?"

"Impossible," denied Rukia. He had even driven her to her temporary hotel room to prepare for school for 5 days, which was barely 5 blocks from the closest school, this one. There was no way he could have screwed up. Or was the workload and stress at his Division finally getting to him? Hisana had taken a toll on him as we- No. She wouldn't continue down there. Returning her focus back to the matter at hand, she asked if she may see any records of registration.

Always organized, Nanao pulled out her file alphabetically in a few seconds and opened it on the desk. The two females leaned toward the information to read, and Ichigo couldn't help but lean in as well. The three read through personal information such as date of birth until they reached a point in the data that made them all blink and in Ichigo's case, rub his eyes and look again as if he couldn't believe it. Rukia held a queer expression of horror on her face. Oh yeah, Byakuya had definitely lost his marbles.

"WHAT THE-!"

She had forgotten to maintain her "acting-lady" voice. But that wasn't the issue now. She was most definitely, 100% sure…

"Hey you, you didn't tell me that…" stated Ichigo with a mocking grin.

…that in the time between Byakuya's departure after dropping her off and her first day at school…

"…you were a…"

…she had not turned overnight into a…

"…_guy_."

Rukia fidgeted in her seat, despising the fact that she was at the front where clearly _no one_ wanted to sit, and next to Ichigo no less. The extremely large stage in front of her had the common wooden and curtain design of most theaters at commonplace schools, but was obviously well-kept. It shined without wax, had no scratch or dirty streaks, and seemed to be made of solid wood. The curtains were neither too heavy and oppressively refined, nor mundane. The lights were rather glaring, but she assumed when their focus shifted to the stage, it would be better.

All around her were seats worthy of the comfort of a sofa, arranged in a Coliseum-like manner or opera theater-manner. And surrounding her in sound… the voices of three thousand _males_. She turned to peer behind her, amazed at the sheer size of the students and the lack of any females. Ichigo, who found himself watching her from the corner of his eye again, thought back to the events that had taken place before their arrival in the auditorium.

_Since the announcement assembly was beginning, Nanao shooed the two of them to the auditorium while she tried calling Byakuya and the school system._

"_Even if you are not an official student here," she addressed Rukia, "there is no reason to miss out on a perfectly good performance. Kurosaki-san will guide you there."_

"_Wha-!"_

"_No more from you Kurosaki-san. I'm letting you off the hook this time to deal with this matter."_

_Ichigo had scowled at that, before pushing himself out of his chair and calling to Rukia without looking back, "Hurry up, you heard what she said. Performances aren't something you should miss."_

_A huff and a soft rustle of lubricated chair legs against the forest-green carpet later, he felt her presence next to him, and without a word, he began walking down the vast hallway. Rukia turned back one last time as the office door swung closed, and caught a glimpse of Secretary Nanao lifting a traditional spin-dial phone to her ear before the door shut. She hoped that Byakuya could be reached. She had many questions for him after all._

"_Seeing that you attend this rich school, you must be rich yourself," she remarked as they passed under an arch. He gave a noncommittal grunt, and said "Eh, I guess," before falling silent. She noticed he navigated the twisting hallways with ease and concluded that he either had taken a tour beforehand or was used to this school. _

"_What grade are you? And what were those paintings of back there?" she questioned, trying to fill the silence. She didn't mind silence, but she was curious. He furrowed his brows even more than he usually did and pondered her question. Finally he answered, "I'm a Stitch, and those were-"_

"_Stitch?" she interrupted, a confused expression taking over her face. "What's that?" _

_He scowled. He didn't like people interrupting him, but seeing the predicament she was in, he would let it slide this once. "Right, I forgot that this is your first time here. 'Stitches' are what 'sophomores' are to you. 'Pins' are the freshmen, 'Buttons' are the juniors and 'Zippers' are the seniors." _

"_Why is it like that for you guys?" He shrugged. "I dunno, that's just how it's been. You get used to it and forget that it was even weird in the first place." She nodded and prompted, "And the paintings?" He stopped for a moment to stare at her. She continued walking several paces before she realized he had stopped. _

"_What?" She asked, perplexed. He asked bluntly, "Look, is your relative really Kuchiki Byakuya? I'll admit that 'Kuchiki' isn't a common surname, but it's hard to believe that any of the captains have relatives." Her eyes widened in understanding and she frowned. _

_"Actually, I'm not his sister," she confessed, "by blood anyways. I'm the sister of my older sister, Hisana, who I'm sure you've heard about." Her expression saddened as she said the last sentence. He nodded. _

_Hisana Kuchiki became a source of much scandal when cold, aloof Byakuya married her, sparking a frenzy of media attention and causing tabloids to go haywire. It was said that she was sick and in poor health, which led to her eventual death 5 years later. Then Byakuya had adopted Rukia, and the media frenzy had started again. It was hard for them not to. She was the spitting image of Hisana, yet no one had seen her until she was officially adopted. A replacement for his lost wife, some suggested. A twin or sister of Hisana, thought others. The latter was more correct, and within weeks, she had become the sister of Captain Kuchiki Byakuya._

_Ichigo rubbed his neck and started to walk again, Rukia keeping pace with him. "Those paintings are of the current Captains. We actually have a lot of them at our school this year." _

_"You're kidding me." _

_"I'm not," he said wearily, as if it were a much-repeated phrase. "We have Captains 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 13," he stated blandly. "Captains Yamamoto Genryusai, Sui-Feng, Unohana Retsu, Komamura Sajin, Kyoraku Shunsui, Zaraki Kenpachi, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and Ukitake Jushiro." She nodded, recognizing some names. "What about the other Captains?" "Captains 3, 5, and 9 apparently left for a different school. And 10… is going to be elected at this school. That's what the presentation today is about."_

Now in the auditorium, Rukia wondered why a school, prestigious and rich as it was, would be the origin of a new Captain. Was one of the teachers who weren't Captains being considered worthy for the position? She didn't know. Another thing she didn't know was why she had told Ichigo about her status as an adopted sister and had mentioned Hisana. He and she weren't close at all to begin with.

She was jarred from her thoughts when the talking subsided and lights dimmed. She looked up at the stage and saw the spotlights had focused on the center. A Captain stepped forward from behind the left curtain. She recognized the old, hunched man as Yamamoto Genryusai, who had founded the Gotei 13 and was the oldest Captain to date, but still highly capable. His long gray eyebrows and beard hung from a rough face, scarred from who-knows-what. His head was tall and bald and his eyes, she knew, were perpetually closed except in certain circumstances.

It was silent now, and his cane thudded as he walked up to a microphone stand that she hadn't noticed before. He cleared his throat, his large white… – blanket? – coat draped over his shoulders rustling against his plain black traditional Japanese robes.

"Welcome youngsters. Welcome to Karukara Institute for Boys!" He paused as a good majority of the crowd cheered before he resumed speaking. "I'll step back for now and let the Buttons take the stage." As he said this, he tapped his way down stairs on the sides of the stage. Scattered applause rang throughout the auditorium, and Rukia realized, after some confusion, that the juniors were next on stage.

The curtains parted more, silently and smoothly, to reveal a trio of boys, who she supposed could be called good-looking. She noticed that all had navy blue jackets with gold buttons, true to their name.

Suddenly self-conscious, she looked at Ichigo's jacket. Though she couldn't see any stitches, she saw that the middle of his jacket was closed with rectangular lumps at regular intervals. She checked her own jacket, then looked at his. They matched. Well, they were in the same grade then, and if that meant that their jackets matched, his jacket was also closed with Velcro, like hers was. Remembering the performance, she turned back to the stage.

The first had long, vibrant red hair tied in a tight ponytail. His eyes were narrow and bright and above them were some weird black marks in place of his eyebrows. She assumed that those were tattoos. He sported ripped jeans and loafers as well as his jacket, and waved to the crowd. The crowd roared back enthusiastically.

The second raised his hand as well. He had blue-black hair that framed both sides of his face and glasses resting upon a sharp nose. His eyes were sharp too, intelligent and calculating. He wore white pants with blue stripes under his jacket and white dress shoes. The response to him was a little less enthusiastic, but loud nonetheless.

The third junior had khaki shorts that showcased his muscular legs with feet in Reeboks. He appeared to have a bandage and the tattoo "69" on his face with 3 scars running vertically down one eye. His hair seemed purple in the light at certain angles and his eyes were almost as narrow as the red-haired. The crowd roared louder and he waved back in response.

After the cheering died down, Rukia, Ichigo, and the others watched the third Button walk up to the microphone stand and address them all.

"Hey guys," his deep voice began, "thanks for being here today. I'm this year's vice-captain of Class 3, Hisagi Shuuhei. The guy with red hair is your events coordinator, Abarai Renji. The last guy is Ishida Uryu, and he's your secretary and treasurer this year. Wish us luck!" The crowd broke into applause again, and Rukia winced slightly as the males' volume rose higher. Ichigo seemed unfazed by it all. Perhaps he was used to this. Shuuhei was not done talking yet though.

"We've had a rough year last year, and I want to leave that all behind. I want to start our year with a good start and news!" More applause. "First off, I'll tell you some bad news. We're going to have masquerade dances this year." A collective groan. He continued unperturbed. "Yeah, I know, kinda sucks, but the good news is that we may have girls coming in this year!"

Silence, then wild cheering and hoots. Rukia glanced back quickly. Were these guys really rich students from prestigious upbringings? They acted like monkeys. But it was interesting that there might be girls. It looks like this school was undergoing some changes. She turned back to catch the rest of the vice-captain's, or, she realized, vice-president's speech. It seemed many things were based on the captains.

"I'd like to start talking about events. We're planning a camping trip and-" Here he cut off, the strangest of expressions flitting across his face. His gaze was downwards and Rukia, who couldn't really see him due to the lights, wondered who or what he was looking at. He suddenly jumped off the 1 foot stage to land right in front of her.

"Wha-?" began Ichigo and Rukia, when Hisagi knelt down to grasp her hands in his.

"Can you come up with me?" he asked her, jerking his head to the stage, where his perplexed companions waited. "Uh, actually, I-" she began, intending to tell him how she might not be even attending this school, but he dragged her up anyways by the left set of stairs and to the stage.

More silence, before the audience exploded into conversations, ranging from the fact that a female was standing before them, and the possible reasons for why she was here. Rukia squinted and made some awkward noises as he let go of her hand on stage and she swayed, trying to regain her balance. She spotted Ichigo looking at the stage, flabbergasted. She didn't have time to dwell on it though.

The vice-captain suddenly knelt down on one knee before her, and, with that same strange expression on his face, he said to her, "Dear lady, will you marry me?"

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**Super-long-author-note:** Hey guys, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fic has made me quite happy! For some of you, I've been updating my other fic, **When It's Rukia** a lot, and boy has it grown! In total, I already have two reviews, several alerts, one favorite and a bunch of hits and visitors! Mwah~ and much love and thanks! I'm updating this one and **When It's Rukia** today because of something very special. **Caution: Spoilers ahead, read at your own risk. If you wish to avoid spoilers, skip this paragraph. **Those of you who follow Bleach manga well probably know it released a new chapter today after two weeks. And guess who returned? Shinji! Yay, I'm super happy and excited, though I wish he'd grow out his hair again. Ah well, we don't get everything in life….

So this is a special occasion for me, hence the chapter update! But sad news, I probably won't update for some days. It's getting hectic on my end, and I ask for your patience. Thanks!

I mentioned this on **When It's Rukia**, and I'll mention it here. It's important to read my author notes because I usually have important info. For anonymous reviewers (please sign in if you have an account or make one; usually doesn't take long, and you don't have to write stories), I might put a short reply in an author note. I also give update statuses and news. So I'll try an experiment. For the first person who reviews with (Hirako Shinji - ijnihS okariH) will get a short oneshot (one chapter) from me about the Bleach universe, preferably a pairing. I'll post the winner in the next chapter, and message that person. Please be patient, as I have little time in my hands.

This chapter is a whole lot longer than the first, and will introduce part of Rukia's "harem". This is still Ichiruki, but I always felt jealousy in a romance plot brings out a lot of deep emotions at times. It makes for good drama at other times, but I ask my readers to please try not to feel too jealous too much in real life! I _am_ leaving out some characters, and not everyone will act exactly the way they do in canon because of the circumstances. But I'm a firm-believer in being in-character, so I'll try to keep everyone's personalities as accurate as I can. Not all of them will have the same role either. **When It's Rukia** is a lot deeper, and while I enjoy writing, it can get exhausting, so I'll switch on focusing between the two fics.

Another thing that you guys may know **if you've read my profile page** is that I don't like Inoue Orihime. Please see why on my profile page. I'm not going to bash her or portray her in a way that isn't her in this fic. I've seen some fics that portray her as this "bimbo" or something, but she isn't like that in canon. The moment an author portrays her like that, it's as if Orihime ceases to exist in the fic and becomes a generic character.

Don't expect any new chapters tomorrow. Even authors need their breaks, hehe.

Some other things I'll mention here. I'm a big supporter of correct mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization). If you see any mistakes in mechanics or grammar in my works, feel free to notify me. I won't get mad, in fact, I'd be glad if someone would help. I want to learn from my mistakes, and it's better if someone else points it out for you.

I'm not review-hungry, so I won't nag you guys for any. But I'd like to voice the opinions I think most authors on this site have: We don't always want reviews saying "Update, please!" or "That was sexy!", etc. Most of us want to know how we did, where we can improve on, and what elements to keep and expand upon. A lot of the authors' goals on this site are to have fun sharing and reading stories. So please, the next time you are moved or impressed enough to write a review, write a little bit more, no matter how short, like: "You have good humor!" It makes a lot of positive difference. :)

Before this review gets any longer, I'll end it. Please check my profile for more info. I might set up a poll in the near future.


	3. What's in a Name?

**Not-so-long-author-note:** Hey! This is the third chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, **SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.**

This is rated **T** for mild language.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

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**It Takes Two to Make a Heart – What's in a Name?**

Rukia was prone to many embarrassing reactions in equally embarrassing situations. She was often known among those close to her – and of those, she did not have many – to squeak, flush brighter than Ichigo's hair color, lose her balance, and present to the world a gaping mouth, not unlike that of a fish. It was to her surprise then, that she did not react in any of these ways, to the sudden proposal by her probable-vice-president, Hisagi Shuhei. Not at first, anyways.

"I ask again, will you marry me?"

She supposed in her mind, off to the side, while most of her brain struggled to comprehend and deal with the situation before it, that boys could not only be monkeys, but hasty. Whoever heard of a proposal at first sight? It wasn't exactly as simple as love at first sight.

"I-I'm… I'm not even of legal age yet!" Rukia managed. Shoot. _That_ was the first thing that _had_ to pop out of her accursed mouth? Of all the things she could have smoothly delivered. Granted, it wasn't any of her typical shameful reactions, but it wasn't anything more pleasant or articulate.

"Ah, then, should I begin courting you? Or would you prefer for me to take it up with your guardians, if you have any?" continued Shuhei, undeterred in the slightest.

Rukia shook her head numbly, and caught the eye of one stupendously shocked Kurosaki Ichigo. To anyone who was not good at reading faces or close to him, they wouldn't have thought him much moved by the current spectacle, but years of hanging around her stoic brother had granted her the ability to discern much of people's emotions by facial expression alone, no matter how subtle or subdued.

Ichigo's brow hadn't changed its angle much, nor had his mouth. The dead giveaway, as for most people, was his eyes, which were widened ever so slightly. It was fairly amusing to see him in such a state, she almost forgot the waiting vice-captain, who was still down on his knees. Fancy and well-kept school stage or not, it was probably bruising his knees that were exposed by his khaki shorts. She quickly thrust out a hand for him to pull himself up. Shuhei took its meaning the wrong way though.

"You accept? Really?" he cried out, his narrow eyes widening in excitement.

"N-no, I meant for you to get up! Don't your knees hurt?" she flustered, now proceeding to begin one of her customary actions, blushing. He looked up at her in wonder.

"Are all girls usually this nice?" he marveled, "I was under the impression they weren't this nice."

That ticked Rukia off. No matter how weird yet nice this guy was to her, wasn't he being too general about girls? Not _all _girls were mean, just as not all boys were the nicest beings on this planet. As a girl, and probably, soon-to-be only female student of this school, she wouldn't stand for this! Her earlier insecurities forgotten, she retracted her outstretched hand and shouted at the still-kneeling vice-captain, "Guys aren't exactly lambs either!"

It was then she noticed the hushed silence that had gripped the whole audience, and looked around nervously. Like Ichigo, many of the students appeared shocked or dumbfounded in the audience. Her eyes swiveled back to the stage she was on and locked on to the two other boys, Ishida Uryu, and Abarai Renji.

Uryu appeared a bit miffed and surprised, but obviously was keeping both emotions under control. At least, that was what it looked like to her. The glare of light on his glasses made it difficult to determine his mood. Renji, however, appeared to be beside himself with glee. "O-oh man, that's gotta be the first time I've seen Hisagi-san like that! Pffft-" And here, the red-haired broke down in fits of laughter, shaking and bending down to grasp his knees in support, lest he fall.

"Oi!" barked the embarrassed vice-president, "Stop laughing!" At this command, Renji made a valiant effort to stifle his giggles, but like a bursting dam, more laughter and a healthy dosage of spittle spewed out from his mouth. Uryu and Rukia hopped back in horror.

"Really though," asked Uryu, stepping up to Rukia, "who are you? I know that we just announced that we may have girls at our school, but for one to be here already-" "You're wrong," Rukia cut him off, "this was all just a misunderstanding. I'm not supposed to even be in this school!"

Oh yeah, Ichigo could see where this was going. Just as Captain Byakuya had apparently lost his marbles over Kuchiki Rukia's school records, Hisagi-san did not just lose his marbles, he _definitely_ needed a lunatic ward, stat. He stared up, aghast, at his vice-president, who he had always known as responsible, level-headed, a bit of a closet pervert, and fair. He did not, however, know this romantic desperate fool that had replaced his vice-captain. It was like he had been replaced the moment his eyes had set on Rukia.

The Kuchiki girl was quickly becoming the root of many problems for him today.

The lights that glared down on the stage were still on, but he could see enough of their shapes and positions. Four silhouettes; three tall and one short. Gee, it wasn't too hard to figure out where Rukia was with just that level of visual information. He squinted into the light and noticed a fifth silhouette. Leaning forward, he saw another short shadow, and to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him (and convince himself that the Kuchiki hadn't suddenly split herself in two) he looked back towards where he saw Rukia's silhouette last. Nope, the tiny girl was still there.

He settled back into his chair and frowned. He was sure that all the boys in the school were, at the very least, only a couple inches short of his tall height. But not to the point of Rukia. He glanced back into the glare to peer at the second, unannounced shadow.

If that was the case, then who was this new guy?

While Ichigo had noticed the new figure, the others were more or less still engaged in heated conversation. Uryu was now scolding Renji for the mess he created, Rukia continued to deny, and Shuhei continued to persist his suit.

"Look at this, Abarai, because I'm _not_ cleaning that up!"

"Will you reconsider, lady?"

"M-my name is Kuchiki Rukia, and I'm telling you, I'm not even in this school!"

"Geez, Ishida, you always make a big fuss about things!"

"Abarai, this is a matter of school conduct and your conduct as this year's event coordinator!"

"If I bought some diamonds, would you reconsider? I heard diamonds are a girl's best friend!"

"Spit, spat, it isn't that much! Here, I'll bend down and wipe it off!"

"Not all girls want diamonds! Stop generalizing!"

"So you won't marry me?"

"Abarai! That'll just spread the germs! And I order you to get some disinfecting wipes!"

"_Huh?_ What's with that! You can't boss me around!"

"I should think the student secretary and treasurer hold more authority than the position of an event coordinator, who still has to report to the treasurer for funds and budget."

"_Hah?_ You want to start something here?"

"Hisagi-san, I'm _not_ marrying you."

"I should hope not."

The last sentence was uttered in a deep, mature tenor that was unlike that of any of the shouting figures on stage. The four of them whirled around to face the back, where a shadow was emerging from behind the back curtains. Uryu and Shuhei paled, Renji gazed in curiosity, and Rukia tilted her head in confusion.

"Who's that?" remarked Renji as the short figure drew near.

"Abarai! Don't you remember, we were supposed to introduce him!"

"Him?" echoed Renji and Rukia. Shuhei jerked his head in a sharp nod. "Yeah." He then bowed down, along with Uryu, who jerked Renji's head down to match their level.

"We apologize for our misconduct," began Uryu, and Shuhei finished with "and we welcome you to our school, Karukara Institute for Boys."

"Hn," grunted the voice, "I'll do introductions myself."

During this exchange, Rukia was standing bewildered next to the microphone, sensing another momentous page in her book of life. What was it this time? Who was approaching, who had enough respect to cause the Buttons to apologize and bow to him? As the figure stepped forward into the light and behind the microphone, she noticed certain eye-catching features.

Short stylized white hair with a bang in front. Short stature. Thin yet toned build. Brilliant sparkling, turquoise eyes. Black traditional Japanese robes and white coat.

Exactly like that of Captain Yamamoto.

These eyes appraised her as he passed her and came to a stop behind the microphone. Without any hint or visible signs of embarrassment, he adjusted the microphone to his height, and addressed the crowd.

"My name is Hitsugaya Toshiro, the new 10th Captain of the Gotei 13. And as for Hisagi's proposal, he'll be disappointed to know it's late."

The crowd murmured in surprised shock at the captain's apparent young age, and his declaration. In the crowd, Ichigo's brow furrowed deeper into a confused scowl. This little kid was a Captain? And pigs would fly. But something about him bespoke of authority and power. He couldn't quite place why, but he believed in the white-haired youth's claim of his name.

"Why is that, Captain Hitsugaya?" queried Uryu.

Toshiro glanced at Rukia again, who could not help but flinch at the gaze of a Captain. His face was young and slightly tan, but his eyes were very wise, almost like that of an adult. It looked wrong yet right on his child-like face. He did not stare long and returned his focus to the audience.

"I am Hitsugaya Toshiro, new 10th Captain of the Gotei 13."

Ichigo, who had during this time been analyzing their entire conversation, realized what he was getting at, and shot to his feet in shock.

"No way," he breathed, "is, is he going to say what I think he's going to say?"

"And," continued the 10th Captain, "the official fiancé of Kuchiki Rukia."

* * *

**Super-long-author-note:** Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy!

**PLEASE READ THIS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.** I believe I owe you guys another explanation. This has been a crappy week for me, and probably for those who were eagerly awaiting this story. I know after 2-3 years reading fanfics on this site, and I knew this fic, compared to **When It's Rukia**, would garner more interest. So for the people who hold this interest, I apologize for the super-late update to this fic. I mentioned in the latest chapter of **When It's Rukia** that I contracted pneumonia, a type of lung infection, for the 8th or 9th time. As many of you might have guessed, I'm still not a senior, so to have contracted it this many times isn't good. After an ER visit, I updated my other fic's 4th chapter, and then was rushed to the hospital not long after for something else. Doctors said it could be a cancerous tumor, but they aren't sure. They noticed it in my ER visit. I'm not sure what this spells, but I hope to continue to have the strength to provide happiness in reading interesting or good stories for you all, visitors, reviewers, and those who set me or my fics as a favorite or on alert. I thank all of you guys. You guys make me happy with your support so far.

When I finally did recover and return, I also realized that I may have rushed my fics a bit. I wanted to take some time re-evaluating how they were going to end, and what mood, characters, and events were going to be in them. Boy, for **It Takes Two to Make a Heart**, I spent a _long_ time revising the plot. Don't worry though; I'm still going to update it. I have to thank all the people who reviewed, who took the time to leave a comment or two, even if it was asking for more updates and asking what was going to happen next. I don't really mind, because when I first started out with writing on this site, I didn't expect to get any. That I got reviews, _and_ alerts and favorites made me beyond happy, and determined to recover faster. Anyways, since I'm going to be more careful and thoughtful with my stories' plots, updates will be farther apart. Also, I have school. Please be patient with me as you've been, and thank you so much for your support up until now!

I mentioned this on **When It's Rukia**, and I'll mention it here. It's important to read my author notes because I usually have important info. For anonymous reviewers (please sign in if you have an account or make one; usually doesn't take long, and you don't have to write stories), I might put a short reply in an author note. I also give update statuses and news.

To the anonymous reviewer **vic**: Thank you! ^^ It might be slow in the making, but I'll try my best!

This chapter was tough to get out, because I think I was too hasty with the first two chapters. It's also shorter, and I hope you'll forgive me for that. I hope that you like it as much as you did the first ones. So Hitsugaya is indeed engaged to Rukia, but this is just one of many things that will happen to Rukia. This fic is turning out to be more serious than I thought. I originally created this to be less stressful and dark than **When It's Rukia**, but that might not be the case. My rough plot outline is already more than 8 pages long… = ="

Don't expect any new chapters tomorrow. Even authors need their breaks, hehe. For those that are starving for **When It's Rukia**, rest assured, even if it takes a while, I will update it.

Some other things I'll mention here. I'm a big supporter of correct mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization). If you see any mistakes in mechanics or grammar in my works, feel free to notify me. I won't get mad, in fact, I'd be glad if someone would help. I want to learn from my mistakes, and it's better if someone else points it out for you.

I'm not review-hungry, so I won't nag you guys for any. But I'd like to voice the opinions I think most authors on this site have: We don't always want reviews saying "Update, please!" or "That was sexy!", etc. Most of us want to know how we did, where we can improve on, and what elements to keep and expand upon. A lot of the authors' goals on this site are to have fun sharing and reading stories. So please, the next time you are moved or impressed enough to write a review, write a little bit more, no matter how short, like: "You have good humor!" It makes a lot of positive difference. :)

Before this review gets any longer, I'll end it. Please check my profile for more info. I might set up a poll in the near future.


	4. 13 Minus 3, Minus Another 3, Plus 1

**Not-so-long-author-note:** Hey! This is the fourth chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, **SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.**

This is rated **T** for mild language.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

* * *

**It Takes Two to Make a Heart – Thirteen Minus Three, Minus Another Three, Plus One**

Uproar. That was the only word to describe what state the audience was in after the new 10th Captain's sudden announcement.

After all, it wasn't every day that an-all boy's school suddenly had a probable female student.

It wasn't every day that said student was proposed to by their vice-captain.

And it certainly wasn't every day that said proposal was nullified by the arrival of the new 10th Captain, who happened to be a boy younger than anyone in the audience.

"What the, what is this!"

"This is getting interesting, don't ya think?"

"The hell it isn't, this is too confusing!"

"Hey, so is she taken or not? It's hard to believe that little squirt and her are engaged so young already."

"What? You're interested in her?"

"It's not like she's bad-looking. Just her height…"

Ichigo's mouth would have twitched at the last sentence, but in the current situation, no, pandemonium, he couldn't bring himself to. This was just too absurd.

As the audience broke out in their own separate conversations, one Kurosaki Ichigo still stood standing aghast at the spectacle on stage, his mind racing.

His school's vice-captain's proposal.

The pint-sized new 10th Captain, and a kid at that.

The "new female mystery" has said Captain as her official fiancé.

Too much information. His knees and legs finally gave out, and he collapsed into his comfortable seat, and continued to stare in front of him. What had become of his school in these few short minutes? Everything had been just going along as usual until Kuchiki Rukia had stepped in the spotlight, literally.

No, even before that. His normal, uneventful world had been screwed over with just a _bump_ with her. Then that bump had escalated into finding out that she wasn't even supposed to be at his school, and… He continued to stare numbly into space.

What the hell is going on here?

Had Ishida Uryu heard what Kurosaki Ichigo had been thinking at that moment, he most likely would have replied with an agitated "That's my line!" As it was, it was all he could do to not spontaneously combust on stage, whip out his archery kit, and shoot everyone. What a mess. How would the school and Captains think of the student council now?

He pushed his glasses up his nose again, which were sliding down from the sweat accumulating on his face, and continued to analyze the entire situation. The audience wasn't the biggest problem at the moment. The crowd was currently acting like a mob, and mobs for the most part had basic emotions and actions, and therefore were predictable and easy to deal with. No, the problem at the moment was the Captains. While the only Captains he could see were the Captain Commander and the new 10th Captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro, he couldn't rule out the fact the remaining Captains were watching this with disapproval somewhere.

By now, the mysterious transfer, Kuchiki Rukia, was stiff and rigid like a pole, her face paling and her mouth flapping but making no sound. Captain Hitsugaya who was now ignoring the audience in favor of watching her was slightly concerned, but made no move to comfort her. Shuhei (_The fool,_ thought Uryu bitterly, _proposing in a place and manner like that, how's the council going to clean _this _up?_) seemed bewildered and was staring at the two short people with as much shock as Rukia was staring at Captain Hitsugaya. Renji, being Renji, seemed to be simply content with watching the whole thing unfold in front of him, _making no move to clean up the phlegm from before_.

Uryu sighed. As the student council school treasurer and secretary, he decided he deserved a pay raise after all this was resolved.

Rukia couldn't believe her luck today. While she was an atheist, the amount of things that had happened to her today could have only come from some otherworldly power. All she had wanted was to try to please her nii-sama by accepting his request to go to an all-girls school, but what was this? Apparently her cool and organized brother had finally lost his senses by enrolling her as a boy in the very type of school he had not wanted her to attend, she had met Kurosaki Ichigo, had been proposed to by the school vice-captain suddenly, and had discovered herself to have an official fiancé. Since when did she ever have a fiancé?

Speaking of which, right now she must look like a dismal prospective wife to Hitsugaya Toshiro, what with her stiff posture, her scrunched up face, and her lips that seemed to be powered to move for no apparent reason except to make her look stupid. She glanced at the audience, and winced, finally realizing the increased volume. Her eyes raked over nameless and unfamiliar faces and rested upon one of the few faces she knew in this vortex of chaos.

The Captain Commander sat in the front row to the left, his upper body leaning on his upright cane, and seemed unperturbed, which was ridiculous to her. It was true that he hardly interacted with anyone except Captains, but with all this commotion and his authority, shouldn't he be able to do something? The aged Captain watched with squinted eyes as usual, but she couldn't tell where he was looking, or if he was even paying attention to the chaotic scene before him from her position upstage.

Desperate, her eyes slid over to rest on Ichigo, who was now slumped in his seat. She noted his eyes seemed somewhat dazed and blank, and wondered at the reason. All of a sudden, his eyes cleared and snapped up to her face, looking more than annoyed.

She flinched and turned her gaze back to Toshiro. What was she doing? She wasn't scared of punks, much less an _orange_-haired one. So why had she looked away then?

It was because she felt guilty, she realized afterwards. It was the guilt of dragging his school into such a mess, even if it wasn't her fault for ending up in this school. It was the guilt of treating him that way at the school gates earlier, kicking and yelling at him when she really had no right to.

After all, she was indebted to him and his family already, even if he didn't remember who she was.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the sudden silence. It made her uneasy to hear such a complete quiet when before, it had been as if the Super Bowl, the World Cup, and the Olympics had been jammed into the theater room. She whirled around on the spot, looking for the source, and was forced to correct herself.

_Sources._

Rukia stared at the people behind her, forgetting all rules of etiquette. Renji and Shuhei had moved to the left of the stage and were staring straight ahead properly, and she noted Uryu who was walking up to her quickly. She had not noticed it, but during her musings, Toshiro had moved to the back as well with the new people. Uryu reached her and grabbed her shoulder, urging in a low whisper, "Hurry up and come with me."

Too stunned, she let the student secretary and treasurer drag her to the right side of the stage, still staring at the people in the back, who had now stepped closer to the front.

The Captains. Rukia recognized all of them, having met some of them when she was younger under Byakuya's care, but when they were all younger. The Captains' vast difference in appearance from when they were younger accounted for why Rukia was unsure of the portraits' subjects in Secretary Nanao's office.

The first in line from the right was a small and petite woman, who was clothed in a tight, black sleeveless top and a black _hakama_ with the ends tucked into light slippers. Her hair was mostly short, but she had two long braids which were wrapped in cloth and ended with a ring. Her face was stern and Rukia could make out cold eyes under her bangs.

Sui-Feng, her mind supplied, was known as the cold and fierce 2nd Captain, whose disposition was on par with Kuchiki Byakuya. She had the highest degree of black belt in all forms of martial arts, won all the major competitions there were, and owned several successful businesses that sold martial arts weapons and gear, as well as a large number of internationally acclaimed dojos. She also held much influence and sway in the world's top spy and intelligence networks, including the CIA and the FBI. She held a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Next to Sui-Feng was another woman, who Rukia was able to identify more easily: Unohana Retsu. The gentle blue-eyed 4th Captain clothed in a standard doctor's uniform had a motherly air around her, and the large braid that rested in front of her drew attention to her astonishingly youthful face. Retsu held a Ph.D. degree in numerous medical fields and was a top-notch doctor, surgeon, and more. Celebrities, CEOs, and various wealthy people paid fortunes just to be on her waiting list, for it was said short of terminal diseases and those with unknown cures, she could treat just about anything. Much of the progressing research on the cure for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's was due to her work. She was head of medical staff for many hospitals and owned several youth beauty product companies.

They were the only two women Captains, Rukia remembered, but their skills were no less than that of the males. She gazed upon the next Captain in line, wondering where her brother was. He was the 6th Captain after all, and as busy as he was, she doubted he would miss a meeting of this sort. It was said that when all the Captains gathered, it was due to something of utmost importance, after all.

Her mind supplied the space between Unohana Retsu and the next captain with an image of her nii-sama, before she paid attention to the 7th Captain. The 7th Captain, Komamura Sajin, was a mystery. Hardly anyone had ever seen him in public, and when they did, he would always have a bucket-like mask of sorts over his head. He always wore gloves and clothes that did not reveal any skin, even in the hottest of weather. Even now, he was wearing a black custom tuxedo with a turtleneck and his customary mask. That was not to say, he wasn't sociable or successful. He was a certified veterinarian with a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine to back him. He owned many vet hospitals, was compassionate to animals, and was known for his incredible strength and huge body. Rukia remembered asking Byakuya how Sajin had looked like, and all her brother had replied with was that though he had seen his face once before, it was not his place to describe it.

Rukia had to stop herself from busting out laughing when her eyes alighted upon the next Captain's choice of wear: a pink colorful woman's _haori_ draped over his white business suit, and patterned with flowers. And she had reason to. Though 8th Captain Kyoraku Shunsui mostly presented himself as a carefree womanizing middle-aged man, he was one of the most accomplished and oldest of the Gotei 13. Extremely perceptive, wise, and frank, he was valued in his field of expertise, law. Many aspiring lawyers' dreams were to work under his tutelage, obtain a Ph.D. in Civil Law and Law and Policy, as well as to own the extensive number of law firms under his control.

When she reached the 10th Captain, she shuddered. Well, she thought wryly, normally, she wouldn't have known his background anyways, but then again, these weren't normal circumstances. If she was in a normal situation, she would have been in an elite society ladies' prep academy by now, blissfully unaware for a little longer of this strange Karakura Institute for Boy's and the fact that Hitsugaya Toshiro was her fiancé.

From what she could observe of him at first glance, he wasn't at all bad looking for his age. He wore the exact same outfit as the Captain Commander, in contrast to the modern outfits the Captains before him wore. His mature turquoise eyes stared straight ahead at the crowd, neither boastful nor humble. He knew what it meant to bear the title of a Captain of the Gotei 13. And he was proud of it.

Rukia winced when her eyes chanced upon the next Captain down the line, which she remembered to be the 12th Captain, despite his ever-shifting choice of appearance. It was his insane eyes that would always give him away, with a maniacal gleam that certain scientists, geniuses and charismatic people always had.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri was much like Retsu in the respect that his field of expertise included medicine, though his main interest and skill was in the sciences. He was known for creating many modern and innovative gadgets, but was a tricky boss to please and just as likely to promote one than to use one in his questionable experiments. His Ph.D.'s included Applied Science, Chemistry, Engineering Science, Medicine, and many more. He too, like Toshiro, was wearing the standard Captain attire, though his elaborate headdress that was reminiscent of a pharaoh, and his garish black and white face paint clashed with it.

She frowned as she realized that there were no more captains. She knew from Ichigo that Captains 3, 5, and 9 had left for a different school, and perhaps her brother was sick (mentally, she was convinced) so he couldn't make it, but that left the missing 11th and 13th Captains. So the Captains present were the result of the Gotei 13 minus the three that left for another school, probably for good, and another set of three: her brother, the 6th Captain, as well as the 11th and 13th Captains.

As Rukia was thinking this over, the Captain Commander had risen from his seat in the front row, and had tapped his way up the stage with his cane, and faced the audience behind the microphone.

"Well now, we shall now commence the introduction of the Captains!"

There were a few scattered claps, but they quickly faded into silence. Everyone was still into too much shock with had happened before the Captains' arrival.

The petite Kuchiki again glanced at Ichigo, who was now more composed in his seat and watching the new Captains warily. Good. At least he was calmer now, thought Rukia, before turning her attention to the Captain Commander. He was currently and simply stating the division number and name of each Captain, who would then step forward, before stepping back to allow other Captains their chance to step forward. There was a noticeable stillness of breath in the audience when the disturbed-looking 12th Division Captain stepped forward, but other than that, all 3,000 boys remained quiet.

"…and 12th Division Captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri," concluded the aged Captain. "Now then, as for the 3rd, 5th, and 9th Division Captains, they will not be joining us today. The 13th Captain, Ukitake Jushiro, will introduce himself at a later point, as he is sick today. The 11th Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi, will also introduce himself later, as he is on urgent business."

Rukia listened to the last part of his speech intently, waiting to hear about her brother. From the corner of her eye, she noted that Ichigo was leaning forward slightly in his seat, elbows on his knees with his chin cupped in his hand. The posture made him look sleepy or disinterested, but she noticed how alert his eyes were.

"As for the 6th Captain-"

"He is here."

Several gasps of surprise gripped the audience at the sudden declaration from behind them, and several males turned their heads to see none other than Kuchiki Byakuya in all his glory, standing behind them and in front of the entryway doors.

Byakuya stood straight and tall as he walked down the set of stairs, then up again, this time on the stage stairs, then took his place between Unohana Retsu and Komamura Sajin. Ichigo watched his progress to the stage the whole while.

Rukia shook where she stood, relieved that Secretary Nanao had probably reached her brother and that her brother did not seem out of sorts. He seemed just as proud and elegant as ever, clad in a simple yet impressive black tuxedo. But even with her relief, she could feelings of frustration, annoyance, and slight anger boil over. He was the one who had enrolled her as a boy into an all-boy's school, after all, and the vexation that mistake gave her warranted a confrontation, Kuchiki pride be damned for the moment.

She ran out from Uryu's side to stand in front of her brother, back facing the audience.

"Nii-sama! Why are you he-! …No, why did you enroll me here? As a boy? It's a mistake, right, nii-sama?"

Said nii-sama stared at her, before ordering her, "Compose yourself, we have an audience of Captains."

Rukia flushed with embarrassment, and stopped hurling questions, but stood her ground in front of him.

"Say, Byakuya-kun," suggested Shunsui, "why don't you tell us what's going on? We're dying to know here," though the expressions of the Captains of the 2nd and 12th Divisions said otherwise. Retsu seemed mildly interested, Toshiro did not seem to be curious or apathetic and Sajin… no one could see his expression due to his mask.

"My adopted sister," began Byakuya with his eyes closed, not noticing how his selection of words caused Rukia to flinch, "was enrolled here on purpose."

Dead silence and shock ringed throughout the audience. One could have heard even a feather gently scrape the ground. Rukia looked up to her brother, aghast.

Yup, she would need to consult with the Kuchiki healer, or ask the 4th Division Captain for a favor to cure her mentally ill brother. How could he say something like that? Maybe he drank too much on a business trip and was still feeling the side-effects?

"My adopted sister, was enrolled as a boy, on purpose."

Surprised murmurs rippled throughout the crowd. Right. Throughout the hullabaloo, Rukia had forgotten the only ones who knew that she had been _mistakenly_ enrolled in this school _mistakenly_ as a boy, were Secretary Nanao, herself, and Ichigo.

Finding her eyes being drawn to him more times today than for most people in a single day, she wondered what Ichigo was thinking about this. Was he perhaps in horror that the same little twerp who had kicked his shins and yelled at him was going to stay at the same school as him? But that would never happen, because this was all just a _big mistake_.

"And my adopted sister," stated Byakuya tonelessly again, and here Rukia perked up. _What more could he bungle up?_

"Was engaged to the new 10th Division Captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro, on purpose…"

Ichigo found himself jumping up from his seat the second time that day, and two times more than he had in his lifetime, but couldn't find it in himself to really care about a stupid detail like that. Rather, what was this cold prick implying? That he, 6th Division Captain and adoptive brother-in-law of Kuchiki Rukia, had actually done this…?

"…By my hand."

* * *

**Super-long-author-note:** Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy!

**PLEASE READ THIS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.** I don't know if any readers have learned this by now, but I am recovering from having lung and stomach cancer, diagnosed not too long ago, so updates might be slow. Plus, I have school. But I'll be sure to continue updating, so fear not!

I mentioned this on **When It's Rukia**, and I'll mention it here. It's important to read my author notes because I usually have important info. For anonymous reviewers (please sign in if you have an account or make one; usually doesn't take long, and you don't have to write stories), I might put a short reply in an author note. I also give update statuses and news.

**ALSO IMPORTANT:** This chapter has a lot more detail. The last chapter was short because my questionable "writer's instinct" wouldn't let me put any more details. It just had to be like that, and I found it ok. I hope you guys found it ok as well. I also tried a new perspective besides third-person Ichigo and Rukia. I've always liked Ishida, but making his observations too long wouldn't have fit with this chapter, so I made it short. I'll do other characters too as time goes on. It is my belief that unless absolutely necessary, fics should be neutral about religion. I'm atheist, but I didn't make Rukia one because of that. I think Rukia's kind of distrustful of anything but what seems realistic and in front of her, so I decided on atheism as her religious belief. So about the 3 missing captains… I think the part about Byakuya engaging Toshiro and Rukia was obvious, but it doesn't have to be a super suspenseful ending every single time. Yes, I actually am being serious about this fic. It will be long, I'll try to be detailed and connect some plot points in the manga with it. I'll leave a slew of characters out though. I am not confident or knowledgeable enough to write from many of their different perspectives.

Don't expect any new chapters tomorrow. Even authors need their breaks, hehe. For those that are starving for **When It's Rukia**, rest assured, even if it takes a while, I will update it. I'll put it on hold after reposting Chapter 6, though. If I get enough reviewers (thanks to you guys, that might happen), I'll put up a poll.

Some other things I'll mention here. I'm a big supporter of correct mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization). If you see any mistakes in mechanics or grammar in my works, feel free to notify me. I won't get mad, in fact, I'd be glad if someone would help. I want to learn from my mistakes, and it's better if someone else points it out for you.

I'm not review-hungry, so I won't nag you guys for any. But I'd like to voice the opinions I think most authors on this site have: We don't always want reviews saying "Update, please!" or "That was sexy!", etc. Most of us want to know how we did, where we can improve on, and what elements to keep and expand upon. A lot of the authors' goals on this site are to have fun sharing and reading stories. So please, the next time you are moved or impressed enough to write a review, write a little bit more, no matter how short, like: "You have good humor!" It makes a lot of positive difference. :)

Before this review gets any longer, I'll end it. Please check my profile for more info. I might set up a poll in the near future.


	5. The Zippers Zip In

**Not-so-long-author-note:** Hey! This is the fifth chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, **SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.**

This is rated **T** for mild language.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

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**It Takes Two to Make a Heart – The Zippers Zip In**

Rukia loved her nii-sama, she seriously did. Many found it hard to believe that her love for him wasn't because of his money or fame, but because of his rare moments of kindness that was hard to express for him, and hard to catch.

She hadn't remembered her older sister, Hisana, nor was she sure she wanted to. Sure, Hisana was her older sister and she was the reason she could look forward to a financially stable, if a bit restricting future because of the wealthy and honorable husband she had left behind. But she had also abandoned Rukia, and in a dangerous, dirty, and deserted alleyway to boot.

Remembering some of the more unpleasant memories that she had experienced on her own made her feel bitter towards her sister, ever since she had been informed she had one. She wouldn't be human if she hadn't felt the least bit hurt, after all. But after fending for herself in that wretched city, where food and things were harder to steal than in a rural countryside, where adults or fellow kids held no qualms about abusing or killing you, where the police didn't care, and where nothing would change for those at the bottom of the world's food chain, she thought she understood her sister's reasons, and grew to accept them. It would have been nothing short of amazing for a person with the burden of one too young and too helpless to fend for the both of them in that seedy place.

As dangerous and dire as her life was in that city, she had maintained a strong will and spirit, and grew cleverer, more skilled, and more quick, all in order to survive.

After many adventures, many sorrows, and many puzzling memories and people later, her future nii-sama (though she hadn't known that he was related to her at the time) had found her, and the rest, was history.

_Many citizens passed her by without a second glance, too busy or too arrogant to deign to acknowledge her miserable presence, but she had already bore the brunt of criticism, jeers, and unprovoked attacks, simply for being poor, being dirty, and being alone. It didn't concern her much. She grew warier from the more violent encounters, and learned to guard herself or learn tricks to wriggle away from dangerous predicaments with stronger and larger foes. _

_These experiences accounted for her actions when she saw a dark shadow in the corner of her eye, one rainy day. She had been caught in the downpour, and took shelter under a large, beautifully designed building, shivering and cold. As she stood there, sticking out like a sore thumb on the manicured and well-kept establishment, she noticed a tall figure walking towards her in her peripheral vision. Immediately not trusting the stranger, she stiffened but made no other move. She didn't know if he had a weapon, or if he was even willing to heckle or harm her. _

_The figure drew closer, and though her vision couldn't show her the upper portion of his face, she could tell it was a rich businessman, from his obviously expensive clothes and shoes, and his well-groomed long black hair, or what she could see of it. He had a frown on his well-defined chin, but she was pretty sure it was not due to anger, but more of apathy, or a stoic attitude._

"_Hisana?"_

_She still did not turn around, for her name was not Hisana, but Rukia, a tough orphan trying to survive day by day, finding refuge on what was probably the approaching man's property._

"_Hisana. Is that-?"_

_Rukia turned around then, for she had seen no one close enough to be the object of the man's calls, and she wondered what could have possibly caused such a tone of longing to enter the serious man's voice. She heard his gasp before she saw his face, and was stunned with what she saw. _

What a handsome man, _she thought. _

_His long black hair fell neatly around his shoulders, with what appeared to be an odd white clip holding some of his hair to the side. His dark blue tuxedo could not hide his toned shoulders or all of his pale white skin completely. He had a delicate nose, fine eyebrows, and deep dark grey eyes, which were widened in… surprise?_

"_Who are you?"_

_She almost flinched at his suddenly harsh tone, but not before seeing a flash of disappointment in his eyes. Well, she was only a city street rat, so who could he have known that looked similar to her? Whatever his problem was, if she stayed here any longer, trouble would come find her, so she made to leave. _

"_Wait!" _

_Now what? Why was his tone suddenly so desperate? She debated for a split second whether to stay or leave, but by then, the stranger had caught up to her, striding to her at a fast pace._

"_What is your name?"_

_She eyed him, before deciding that it shouldn't matter if he knew her name, for it wasn't an official name, but rather a name given to her by the people who she had last stayed with before she ran away. And very soon, she would be running away again._

"…_Rukia."_

"_Where were you born?"_

_She frowned again. Was he an illegal immigrant inspector? "I don't know," she admitted, "I was found in District 78, Inuzuri." Even with that piece of information, she decided, he wouldn't be able to track her down. Nobody kept tabs or cared about others in that low-class district. _

_His eyes widened even further, before they settled to a contemplative gaze. Rukia stood there, while her mind screamed directives to hurry up and get the hell out of here, because this stranger wasn't asking normal questions. _

_His gaze traveled up and down her body in a clinical manner, and she winced. What a sight she must be, with her ragged and worn-out dress. One couldn't even tell it had once been white, with all the filth on it. Her black hair was greasy and oily and hung limply, and the looseness of the clothes showcased how painfully thin her waist and limbs were._

"_Come with me," he suddenly requested out of the blue. _

_Flabbergasted at his response, Rukia floundered in a suddenly childish manner that contrasted with her more serious demeanor earlier. _

"_W-w-what?"_

"_I will not repeat myself," he snipped testily, but Rukia noticed he seemed more cautious now towards her. She decided to take advantage of it, though she didn't know why he was suddenly careful with her. She shifted her weight imperceptibly so she was in the optimum position to kick off… into a run. _

"_Do not run. It is futile. My guards are coming even as we speak," commanded, much to the surprise of Rukia. _

_How had he known she was going to run?_

_Rukia scowled at her predicament and made to really run for her life, but he called out to her one thing she would never forget._

"_Please… You are the only thing that can keep _her wish_ alive."_

_Against her better judgment, she stopped again, struck by how oddly desperate the tone was of the proud man's last sentence. By now, she could see black tuxedo-clad figures approaching, walking calmly and crisply around her in a circle formation. She had lost. _

"_Who are you? And what do you want with me?" she gritted out, even as the figures drew ever closer, and the stranger's eyes seemed to draw farther away somewhere unknown, as if searching for something. _

"_I may… no, I _am_ your elder sister's husband."_

_What?_

"_My name is Kuchiki Byakuya. 6th Division Captain of the Gotei 13. And I will adopt you as of today as your new adoptive brother-in-law…_

"_Kuchiki… _Rukia._"_

"Byakuya…nii-sama…" Rukia murmured on the stage, "What did you… just say…?"

She had been enrolled in this school… on purpose?

"You must be kidding, right?"

She had been enrolled as a boy… on purpose?

"You must be tired. I'll arrange for our flight back home," she babbled on, still denying, still refusing to believe…

She had been engaged, without her knowledge, to the new 10th Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro… on purpose?

"Nii-sama, let us ret-"

"There is no mistake, Rukia," he cut off, his eyes closed. "Furthermore, Captain Hitsugaya has already agreed to this."

She swiveled her head to look at Toshiro, who was staring directly at her. He nodded once, as if to confirm what Byakuya said on a deeper level.

The audience was still as quiet as a tomb, and the Captains hadn't moved an inch yet. The tense air between the two siblings was reaching an unbearable pitch, and no one was sure what to do to break it.

Then…

"YAHOO! We're sweepin' in!"

"Baldy, we agreed on "zippin'" in!"

"Like hell I'll listen to anything _you _say, idiot!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT!"

With an almighty bang and several frightening crashes, 8 figures appeared on the stage in front of the Captains, a haze of smoke obscuring the figures momentarily. Various members of the audience shrieked, yelled, or vocally expressed their shock at yet another surprise.

"That landing was terrible, and we practiced day in and day out for that!" complained a rather whiny voice.

"Shut up! It's not like you practiced hard either! Little kids should shut up, take a piss and go home!" roared another.

"You know, wasn't this whole idea a bit too embarrassing to begin with?"

"Don't you think it's a little too late for that?"

"Keep whining and I'll stuff all of you into a sack and throw you!"

"It's especially embarrassing that we couldn't pull of our artistic landing in front of the Captain Commander."

"Um, that's not the issue here."

"Be quiet, you youngsters!" roared the Captain Commander, promptly silencing the whole auditorium into a state of silence once more.

"Now, introduce yourselves," grumbled the aged veteran, who had opened one eye and raised his voice to restore order, or more accurately, the silent shocked stupor of the audience.

The smoke cleared, and the audience beheld eight very different characters on stage.

Though they weren't speaking yet due to the Commander's earlier reprimand, two members of the group were growling in each other's faces. The first person, a tall and lanky young man dressed in a white collar shirt, a black tie, and black skinny jeans stared down at the shorter person by his side. His light brown eyes glared past his bangs and part of his side hair from his short blond bob cut. His companion, if they could be called that in the mood and position they were in, was an angry-looking blond pig-tailed girl, who wore worn peach flip-flops, a pink work-out suit with a jacket, and had large amber eyes and a large protruding fang.

To the left of them, a girl with short and shockingly bright neon green hair held down partially by goggles was surveying the audience with great enjoyment. Her white body suit clung to every curve of her body. Her accessories included an orange scarf, gloves and boots, which complemented her hazel eyes. The tall and muscular man next to her was an intimidating military leader-like figure, who wore combat boots, a sleeveless purple shirt and khaki pants. His short gray hair and piercings, however, couldn't distract the viewer's attention from his angry brown eyes.

A very apathetic-looking pair stood off to the right. The first of the duo had a long wavy blond mane that accentuated his thin sharp face and nose and slim build. He was garbed in a black tuxedo with a ruffled white blouse underneath, giving him a musician-like aura. His partner seemed a lot less formal, with a large star-like afro atop a brown face with sunglasses and full lips. An aqua-colored workout suit was his outfit choice. His build was almost as muscular as the gray-haired man.

A decidedly sharp Asian woman stood some inches in the front, staring out at the audience with one hand by her side and another holding a tiny book. The spotlight shone down on her, making her black braided hair shine and her glasses glint, covering green eyes. She looked as if she had come from an old manga, dressed in a sailor suit that bared a bit of her belly. Her companion was a great deal more round and bigger than her. He had pink hair with an odd black mark. He even had a pink mustache. His outfit was a green business suit with a yellow bowtie and underneath, a white T-shirt, all of it custom-fitted for his size and proportion. His golden eyes appeared rather sleepy yet alert at the same time.

"Hirako Shinji."

"Sarugaki Hiyori."

"Kuna Mashiro."

"Muguruma Kensei."

"Otoribashi Rojuro."

"Aikawa Love."

"Ushoda Hachigen."

The Commander called out their names in order, before turning to the audience from his front seat.

"I have now introduced your seniors and your teachers. Treat them with respect, and they will treat you with respect in return. The current Captains that stand in front of you will be your teachers in various subjects. The group I have now just introduced are this year's, and as some of you may remember, the Zippers of previous years."

Rukia, who was still on stage, remembered what Ichigo had said about the school hierarchy.

_He did say that in order from senior to junior, it was the Zippers, Buttons, Stitches and Pins. I guess I can see now what he meant by that._

She noted that the Zippers all had traces of zippers on them, either on pants, shoes, shirts, etc.

_Basically, zippers are the most efficient and sturdy in keeping clothes together, so that title would be given to the seniors for superior rank. Buttons are the next efficient, so that would be the juniors. Stitches would be next, but that probably wouldn't work for the school uniform, so they had it as Velcro like Ichigo's and mine. Makes sense, since Velcro can be said to be little stitches that hang on to strings of cloth. And the pins…_

She scanned the crowd for young faces, and came to see a uniform with what appeared to be a blunt tooth on one side, and a closed loop of string on the other, through which the first object could be put through to secure the jacket.

_So that "tooth" thing is like a blunt pin. And that would be the least efficient, or the least superior in school ranking, the freshmen. _

She snapped to attention when she heard the Commander mention her name.

"As you have just witnessed, the first girl of this institute of boys is Kuchiki Rukia, who we have only allowed to enroll here for the time being since she is engaged to our new 10th Captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro. To answer some of your questions, she was enrolled as a boy through a loophole officially since the school system code has yet to be revised, and only allows boys. We will introduce more girls later in the year."

Murmurs spread like wildfire throughout the crowd.

"In addition," he pressed on, "we will be having a masquerade dance and exchange program with none other than Hueco Mundo Academy."

Tense silence gripped the crowd, and Rukia jolted in shock.

Hueco Mundo Academy was the rival school of the Karakura Institute of Boys, and was well-known, despite having only been formed several years ago. It was run by the 3rd, 5th, and 9th Captains that had left the Institute and had amassed much attention for its programs and its talented students. Their achievements outclassed all other schools but Karakura's.

"And one of the staff to be exchanged here…

"…will be Shiba Kaien."

Rukia's eyes widened, and she began shaking, an anguished look on her face. Uryu, Toshiro, and Ichigo quickly took note of this, and each watched her with different levels of discretion.

Byakuya, surprisingly, stiffened slightly and his eyes snapped open in what seemed to be shock.

The three boys did not know the reason for the Kuchikis' sudden expressions of shock. Had they been mind readers, they would have been surprised at their findings.

_That is impossible,_ thought Kuchiki Byakuya.

_How is that possible? How is that _possible_? _Rukia frantically thought.

The two Kuchikis' thoughts overlapped, unable to comprehend what would become one of the first tragedies for the Karakura Institute of Boys… and for Rukia…

_That can't be possible…_

_There is no way…_

_That_ that_ is feasible…_

_Isn't Shiba Kaien…_

_Dead?_

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**Super-long-author-note:** Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy!

**PLEASE READ THIS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.** Ack, writing Byakuya was really hard. Some people say he basically acts the same way most of the time, but nobility mixed with politics can lead to a very confusing mindset. This is mostly about Byakuya and Rukia's past meeting, and yes, this deviates from canon. I'm adding my own spin, but Bleach still belongs to Kubo Tite. Anyways, sorry that there isn't much action after so long, but I have a grand plot sketched out; it'll just take time to lead up to it.

The Visored… As most of you know by my penname, I think Shinji is one of the best Bleach characters, so I couldn't resist including him. And Zippers just seemed a nice title for them. So yeah, you'll be seeing them. And Rukia is still left in a whirlwind, poor her. And now on top of all the news, Kaien who should be dead… isn't? Stay tuned!

Some people were confused with the whole Pins, Stitches, Buttons and Zippers. I took the liberty of addressing that in this chapter. Also, a note of warning: I'm not going to include a lot of characters, and the plot will heavily deviate from canon at some points.

Plans for this fic… I don't think I'm confident in my strength or commitment to start my other plot bunnies yet until this is done. Sorry for being selfish. I just hope you guys enjoy this and go along with the ride.

**To the reviewers of the last chapter especially, thank you so much for your thoughtful reviews and support! I did have an unpleasant week, but your support kept me going! Thank you!**


	6. At least Dorm Rooms Should be Normal

**Not-so-long-author-note:** Hey! This is the sixth chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, **SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.**

This is rated **T** for mild language.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

This is dedicated to my patient readers, reviewers, and especially **Ashezo**, , **purplepam**, and **sparkleflower**, who stuck faithfully with this fic, reviewed thoughtfully, and made me and this fic feel loved. Thank you so much.

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**It Takes Two to Make a Heart – At least Dorm Rooms Should be Normal... Right?**

"Well, how is it?"

"Hai. The subject still shows signs of neural struggle, but it is slowly succumbing."

"What is the neural output now?"

"25%, sir."

The first man that had spoken with a confident and deep tone now brooded in silence, contemplating something.

"…Increase it to 40%. Monitor him closely for the next 4 hours after you do this."

"Hai," came the curiously blank tone of another. This voice was deep in its own different way, and didn't provide much information about its owner.

The only noise in the eerily dark and quiet room now was a low hum, and strange muffled groans.

Groans of pain.

"Shall I silence it?"

"No, leave it be. There is no one nearby to help it anyway," calmly answered the first voice.

"…Moreover, you know what you have to do, don't you?"

"Hai," came the quick reply.

"Very well, I'll leave it to you to arrange the paperwork and your own luggage," concluded the man with the confident tone, before a rustling of cloth announced his intention to leave.

"I leave it in your capable hands…

"…_Ulquiorra…_"

"You've had a rough morning, haven't you?" commented one Ise Nanao with sympathy.

Rukia could only manage an awkward "uh" as the two of them walked down the brightly lit hallway. The hallway's floor was a simple green stone floor and marble walls adorned with previous Captains' portraits and past elite students. She had seen a portrait of her brother not two seconds ago, and she had noted he did not seem to have changed at all today at the ceremony from his painting.

The ceremony… Rukia shuddered, willing the thoughts to stay in a corner of her mind for now, but couldn't help but remember the mind-blowing and life-changing decisions made all in the span of a few seconds…

"_This now concludes the ceremony for today."_

_The 3,000 or so male students murmured in confusion and disbelief, but otherwise did not do much else. After his announcement, the aged Commander stood up, and with a dignified rustling of robes, exited the auditorium through a door to the right, though not before giving the whole stage one last sweeping glance. His gaze rested meaningfully on Byakuya, then on Toshiro and Rukia, before departing. _

_Several of the audience stood up hesitantly, unsure as to whether they could leave or not, but their doubts were soon put to rest when Hirako Shinji yelled out to them, "Oi! Stay _right_ where yer at! This party ain't over!"_

_Though Shunsui chuckled amusedly, Sui-Feng and Hiyori gave him baleful glares at his conduct. After the boys had finished seating themselves again, the group of Zippers and the Captains glanced at each other. _

"_So… who wants to explain?" came the voice of the one named Love. _

_The powerful figures exchanged looks amongst themselves, before Toshiro stepped up to the microphone again. Rukia stiffened as the slight breeze generated by his flapping white haori brushed the legs of her brown pants, and glued her eyes to his retreating back, as if that alone would prove the spectacle in front of her a dream or nightmare. As Toshiro walked closer, several boys' eyes darted between Rukia and Toshiro. As if they really needed to further determine the connection between them, other than the fact that they were surprisingly engaged by none other than Rukia's older brother Kuchiki Byakuya. _

_Ichigo, who had by now calmed down, was now assessing the situation critically. The Captains struck him as an impressive group, as varied as they were; the Zippers caused the same feeling as well, though they seemed a little more easygoing. Even Toshiro, despite his young age, seemed to fit well with the group. As for his _fiancée…

_Huh. _Fiancée.

_Truth be told, he was almost feeling sorry for the pint-sized girl up on the stage. He was pretty sure he would have flipped out had he had an older brother who subjugated him to do all that. But he was a guy, and no matter how sexist it seemed, it was still quite hard in today's society for a girl to defy a guy's decision, especially an older brother's decision. _

_A quick, cursory glance over at Rukia revealed that she too had more or less calmed down. She had stopped shaking and her face was more guarded in expression, but her huge violet eyes that were currently locked on her future husband's back gave away her true emotions. She was too easy to read. _

_He glanced at Byakuya, and found himself disliking the man immediately. Great accomplishments notwithstanding, he was still pretty messed up for what he was putting his younger sister through. It also didn't help that he didn't seem to care about the current proceedings, evidenced by his apathetic expression. As an older brother with two younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin, he couldn't fathom what had possessed the Kuchiki head to arrange a marriage and enroll his sister as a guy in a school that would, until more female students were allowed, forever leave her at a ratio of 1 girl to several thousands of guys. _

_But he also knew, through his own sense of caution, that there was more to the arranged marriage than a hasty coupling of two young kids. There were sure to be benefits for both parties, good things that could be wrought by their union. _

_He blinked. He had just been seething. Kurosaki Ichigo did _not_ seethe and fret over for anyone. He wondered why he was fretting over her anyways. Even if it wasn't in a worried manner like a friend or guardian might, he was still concerned, _for the same person-who-freaking-kicked-his-shins-which-still-had-slightly-throbbing-bruises.

…_Yeah._

"_As I have announced," came the soft and deep voice of Toshiro, "Kuchiki Rukia _is _my fiancée, and I am the new 10th Captain of the Gotei 13."_

_There was little murmuring at this, for the audience had finally come to realize the truth and weight of his words. _

_Toshiro continued with, "For this year, and possibly for several more years, the Captains will be your teachers in various subjects."_

_A frenzy of low, urgent whispers exploded across the theater seats. _

_Captains were extremely busy individuals in society and their work, so it was highly improbable that they could teach for more than a few months. In fact, it was rare for all of them to been seen grouped together at any one time. _

"_The Zippers that were introduced earlier were former Captains, and will also be teaching you this year," he added on. _

_There were less shocked reactions to this announcement. Though their arrival was certainly shocking, many had already known about the Zippers and their former days as Captains. After all, the students of the Karakura Institute of Boys were expected to know the history of their benefactors. _

"_We are gathered here today to announce my promotion and your new teachers. Like the Commander said, treat the Captains and the Zippers with the proper amount of respect, and they will do their best to teach and respect you." He paused._

"_I will be glad to work with you guys, but not as a Captain or teacher yet. I will be a Stitch this year until I learn and understand fully all parts of my job as a Captain."_

_Some scattered and hesitant applause dotted the silence, but he didn't seem perturbed by it. As the few claps awkwardly faded into silence, he walked back to the line of Captains. _

_Meanwhile, Ichigo stared at Rukia some more, wondering what was so completely pitiful about her (because that was the only reason he could be this interested in her issues: pity and curiosity), when a set of small, child-like eyes flashed across his mind. _

_Small, child-like, _violet eyes.

_Frowning in both surprise and confusion, he stared up at the petite dark-haired girl more intensely. _

_Did he know her from somewhere? If so, where? He was pretty sure today had been the first time he had met the feisty girl, so how could he have imagined a smaller version of her eyes in such detail?_

As if he had seen a smaller, younger version of Kuchiki Rukia before?

At the time, Rukia had felt the weight of Ichigo's scrutiny, but did not look at him, still reeling from the news.

Byakuya had left immediately, informing her and the Captains that after a 3-day business trip, he would come back to teach the students of the institute. He informed Rukia that her main luggage had already been delivered to her room and that all expenses were taken care of. Rukia had tried to reach for him and demand more answers and explanations, but was too late and could only watch on helplessly as he disappeared from her sight again. The rest of the Captains decided to return to their rooms to prepare for classes tomorrow.

Shuuhei, who blushed a shade of embarrassed red when he caught Rukia's eye, had directed the audience back to their respective dorms. Ichigo had left then, not giving her a second glance but seeming to be still deep in thought.

Uryu and Renji stayed behind to bicker about Renji's misconduct and in Uryu's words, "filthy, _not removed_ spittle". Then the secretary, Nanao, had come to Rukia's rescue to show Rukia her new dorms.

The pair now walked in silence down the large hallway, which was the main hallway to all the dorms.

"We're sorry that we don't have any female dorms prepared as of yet," Nanao apologized, "so we will have to put you in a dorm for males."

Rukia nodded her understanding, and hesitantly ventured, "At least I won't have to share a room with a guy, right?" and adding a nervous laugh at the end.

"Unfortunately," the secretary crisply replied, "you are right and wrong."

Rukia frowned. Right and wrong?

They stopped in an outside courtyard at the center of four large marble buildings. Smooth maroon in-laid bricks surrounded the marble fountain at the center of the courtyard and stretched until they stopped at the base of a set of marble steps for each dorm. Clear water sprayed gently from expertly carved statues of former and current Captains. Rukia fancied she could see Byakuya nii-sama within the artwork.

Each of the dorm buildings appeared the same outwardly with only a large bronze plaque noting which class the dorm was affiliated to, or namely, the Pins, Stitches, Buttons, and Zippers. Every building was designed simply with an overall square shape and large rectangular all-glass windows at regular intervals. The sunlight's glare made the whole building shine and the windows gleam with reflected light. The order of the buildings, Rukia noted, were in the same order from the youngest class to the eldest, starting from the left.

"These are the dorm buildings, and each building is for a rank: Pin, Stitches, Buttons and Zippers. The Zippers will stay close to supervise and be of assistance if necessary. The Captains are in a separate wing close by."

Nanao then continued to walk toward the fountain and Rukia hurried to follow, who had been standing awestruck at the magnificent buildings. As she ran, she noticed there were lush gardens and foliage between all the buildings and was pleased to see the variety of them. She then noticed a small patch of forlorn and ragged grass by the Buttons dorm.

"What's that?"

Nanao glanced over at where Rukia was pointing, and scowled.

"That," she muttered, "must be eradicated as soon as possible before the Captains come see this. That is a piece of land infested with _rabbits_."

"Rabbits?" Rukia queried.

Rabbits…

Rabbits.

RABBITS!

Oh, the only joy of her crazy life today, to be so close to none other than rabbits! She would have to plead and make sure that the precious patch _wasn't_ eradicated. She hummed to herself a tune from the popular television show Chappy before she realized that Nanao had walked ahead again.

She hurried after her, loving the soft breeze that had picked up and ruffled the surrounding trees, grass and her short black hair.

The two females entered the Stitch building, their shoes echoing off the marble floors.

"Wow…" Rukia could only say as she beheld the view in front of her. It looked much like the 5 star hotels she and Byakuya occasionally went to, with soft light emanating from high lamps, what appeared to be a mahogany wood desk in one corner and large marble columns supporting the ceiling decorated with frescoes. It was a spacious chamber, with soft velvet black sofas in one corner, with coffee tables and a whole bookshelf of books. In another corner there were many mailbox cubbies, which were already stuffed with some letters or packages. The last corner simply housed a few potted plants, but from a quick glance, Rukia could tell they were shipped in from rare and exotic places.

The pair walked down the main hallway and she noted the widely spaced doors.

"Are the rooms that big? And are all the buildings like this?" she wondered aloud. Nanao beamed in slight pride.

"Yes," she informed, "we decided on a simple layout and large spacious rooms for comfort. We _are_ one of the world's leading schools of academics and the fine arts."

They reached the end of the hallway, which had 4 simple steel elevators. None were currently in use. Rukia and the secretary boarded the last one on the right and Nanao pushed in the button for the 13th floor.

_Just like the number of Captains and Divisions in the Gotei 13,_ thought Rukia, who had noticed there were only 13 buttons for the 13 floors in the building, aside from standard elevator function buttons.

The elevator smoothly came to a halt, and doors slid open silently. The hallway looked much the same as the one on the first floor.

"The doors and rooms are soundproof," said Nanao offhandedly as they stepped out.

Rukia suddenly remembered the purpose of this trip and what Nanao had said earlier about her dorm room.

"Um, about before," she stated lowly, too exhausted and taxed to use her fake girly-acting voice, "what did you mean when you said I was right and wrong?"

They had by now reached her dorm room, whose white wood door simply had the bronze numbers 1306 to identify it.

Nanao eyed her. "You said that you wished not to share a room with a guy, right?"

Rukia nodded in affirmative, still confused.

"It is true that you won't share a room with a guy…"

Rukia frowned a bit, before her eyes widened.

Wait a minute… If the school still didn't allow female students…

"But you _will_ be…"

If she wouldn't be sharing a room with a guy…

"…Sharing a room with…"

With… _a_ guy…

"_Guys._"

Just then, Nanao reached out to open the soundproof door only to expose her and Rukia to a barrage of yelling and noise. What noisy roommates indeed. Rukia's left eye twitched. She could feel a headache coming on already.

"Kuchiki Rukia, meet your new roommates for the duration of the school year."

Three heads in the room popped up at the sound Nanao's introduction, heads of deep purple, white, and orange.

Oh heck no.

"Please get along with…"

Oh _hell _no…

"Hisagi Shuuhei, Hitsugaya Toshiro, and Kurosaki Ichigo."

* * *

**Super-long-author-note:** Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy!

**PLEASE READ THIS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.** Oh goodness, I am so sorry! Long story short: I left my computer in a place that is locked down for half of a week every week by accident, and had to wait to get it back. That meant no updating for a while. I am so sorry. Read happily and please let me know what you thought about it!

Yes, I did introduce Ulquiorra. You'll have to see later what role he plays in the whole story. This was mostly a flashback continuation of the last chapter, but also had a typical introduction to the dorm room and partners, but boy is it awkward. Also, a note of warning: I'm not going to include a lot of characters, and the plot will heavily deviate from canon at some points. This is not a school fic that perfectly or closely follows canon, so a lot of things could be switched up or not mentioned at all.

Also, I think a lot of you are confused about the whole Pins/Stitches/Buttons/Zippers issue. I'll post here an explanation I gave to a reviewer not too long ago:

Basically, there are different ways to hold together things, like pants and jackets. Zippers are convenient and less likely to break, so the superior seniors call themselves that. Buttons are the next efficient, so that would go to the juniors. "Stitch" is actually velcro, since actually having stitches would be troublesome for the sophomores. Freshmen are Pins because those are, no matter how you look at them, an odd and dangerous way to hold together something. Instead of actual pins though, they have one of those blunt tooth/claw on one side of the jacket, and on the other side, a loop to put the tooth/claw through to secure it. If you don't get the Pin description, google "winter jacket with fur" and if your search settings are moderate, it should be the first picture.

As for pairings, if you see my profile, I believe in free love, as long as it doesn't harm anyone greatly. There won't be any boy x boy or girl x girl pairings in this fic, but my policy also applies to boy x girl relationships. When I think of the shipping wars, I think it's sad how people fight over which is better, like in religion. I like Ichiruki better, and I don't like Orihime (not because she's an obstacle for Ichiruki or because she's weak, something about her personality doesn't sit well with me…) but I'm trying my best each year not to bash or denounce Ichihime. It's kind of stupid. Believe with all your faith in your favorite pairings and that is good enough. Belittling the dreams and fantasies of others degrades your favorite pairing. Sorry if this offends some people, I know shipping wars is a controversial subject in the manga and anime world. So basically, I will stick with my favorite pairings and add some pairings I have no big opinion about, but I don't want readers to hate it, or hate each other for their different beliefs.

Plans for this fic… I don't think I'm confident in my strength or commitment to start my other plot bunnies yet until this is done. Sorry for being selfish. I just hope you guys enjoy this and go along with the ride. Thanks so much for the reviewers and readers of this fic. Thank you also for alerts and favorites!

Ack, I also realized I need to respond to the anonymous reviewers. Remember, making an account doesn't take too long, and you're not forced to write stories. It makes it easier for me to express my thanks and thoughts with you if you do! Thank you all so much for helping me to reach the **20-reviews milestone** for the first time! It's all thanks to you wonderful guys!

**To vic**: Hi again! Glad you like it, but I'd also like to know what parts made you react that way. Thanks for reviewing!

**To Lizzy**: Hi! Glad you like it, but I'll say the same thing I said above. What parts made you want me to update? That'd be of great help, thanks!

**To Quill Princess**: Haha, hi again! I understand, as sometimes I'm too lazy to sign in myself. Thank you so much! I was worried that my fic would have mistakes, but it's reassuring to hear that from you! Sorry for the late update!

The rest of the reviewers logged in, so I have replied to you all as soon as possible through review reply. Thanks so much all of you, anonymous or not!


	7. The Dead is my Music Teacher Assistant

**Not-so-long-author-note: **Hey! This is the seventh chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, **SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.**

This is rated **T** for mild language.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

* * *

**It Takes Two to Make a Heart – The Dead is my New Music Teacher Assistant**

As the secretary shut the door with an apologetic look, leaving Rukia in the room with the other three boys, she took in her surroundings and tried to ignore her new companions for the time being.

It was a lavish room, as expected of the prestigious and wealthy school, with purple velvet flooring, four king-size beds with a generous amount of high-quality feather pillows and thick blue blankets. The bed frames were made of dark mahogany wood, and were equipped with a clip-on lamp and an alarm button for emergencies. Next to each bed was a large mahogany bedside table with drawers and a silver lamp.

Rukia turned around, noticing how light and airy the room seemed to feel because of the large and spacious windows, and the lack of furniture. …Lack of furniture?

She studied the white walls closely, and realized it was true. Whether it was to save space and expenses, or because the design was more modern and pleasing, there were shelves and drawers built into the walls next to each bed for clothes and other supplies. She could already see one set of shelves filled with some clothes.

The school had also granted to the left of her room a gleaming silver kitchen, complete with two microwaves, an oven, a stove, a freezer, a refrigerator, and more shelves and drawers that were designed as part of the walls. There was a marble island counter with four stools and a complementary bowl of fresh exotic fruit.

She saw to the sides of her what she assumed to be brown closets for shoes and coats, and to the right of the massive room a short hallway, leading to what she assumed to be the bathroom.

Talk about living in comfort and style.

While she was still busy gaping at her new quarters, the trio of boys had stopped arguing long enough to approach her, weaving around the open baggage and strewn items and articles of clothing. Noticing them, Rukia turned around and barely suppressed a wince.

Ichigo approached in a plain white T-shirt that hugged his body and his school uniform pants, his shoes discarded in favor of walking with white socks, wearing his customary scowl. Hisagi's outfit was the same as the one he wore at the assembly, but his feet were now clad in simple open-toed black slippers. Hitsugaya had changed out of his robes into a short black polo T-shirt and long tan pants that ended right above his bare feet.

_That's right; I have somebody who's apparently my fiancé, my Button vice-president who proposed to me, and Ichigo. All in the same room… Just great. _

"I think we should calmly sort some things out first," began Rukia when the four of them stood in a loose circle.

"Isn't that obvious?" Ichigo grumbled, before she unceremoniously stubbed his big left toe with her school shoes.

"Ow!"

"Of course it is! Just be quiet for a moment!"

"You're the one who started it!"

"Toughen up and be a man, you! It shouldn't hurt much for a big guy like you, right?"

"Why you-!"

Toshiro sighed as the two squabbled for some more and Hisagi's gaze flickered uneasily between the arguing duo.

"Enough of this!" Toshiro eventually shouted, and both flinched in shock at his loud and deep voice and stopped.

"Enough," he growled, "Kuchiki's right, we should get some things settled here."

"What things, Captain Hitsugaya?" asked Hisagi, mindful of the little boy's proper title.

"The living arrangements, personal preferences for space, noise and time," Toshiro rattled off, before he was cut off by Rukia.

"Excuse me," she began awkwardly, unsure of how to address her fiancé, "but I'd like to deal with the things that happened at the assembly first… like our… _engagement_…" She cringed at the last word.

Toshiro studied her before he seemed to relent. "Seeing as you didn't seem to know anything, it's only fair."

"You knew already?"

"Mm, your brother approached me around two weeks ago, proposing a marriage between the two of us."

"Nii-sama did?" Rukia uttered in bewilderment. Sure, he had announced himself at the assembly that this had been arranged by his hand, but it seemed out-of-character for him to personally meet with Hitsugaya to do something like this.

Treading even more cautiously, Rukia questioned, "Did he say why? ...Or anything else?"

"I promised not to tell," Hitsugaya explained, "But I can tell you that the marriage itself will happen in three months."

As Rukia's face displayed new shock, Ichigo was sizing up the white-haired Captain. He was short even for his age, but he was obviously fit, evidenced by the slightly tanned and muscled forearms that were exposed and his trim waist shape. His white-hair seemed to defy gravity, leading him to believe the little Captain must have put gel in it. His aqua eyes were mature in an unsettling way, for they were on a face too youthful for them.

_So this kid's her fiancé? Good match… in height…_

"Are _you_ okay with this?" Rukia asked, bringing Ichigo back to the situation before him. Closing his eyes, the Captain explained patiently, "You don't have to worry yourself about that. I'm fine with it, that's all there is to it."

Rukia frowned. "That doesn't seem to be fair," she argued, "You should have a say in this too."

Hitsugaya studied Rukia for a bit, then, to everyone's shock, smirked for the first time.

"You remind me of her," he said vaguely, "That innocent and naïve belief and sense of justice… But there's really no issue on my side, so don't worry." He continued to smirk in a fond manner and Rukia tentatively smiled back, surprised at how dashing he looked just from a small smile.

Sighing, Rukia decided to let that matter rest until she had a proper moment to discuss this with her brother, if that ever came up. Though he had his pride, she had the sneaking suspicion that he would avoid her right until the wedding just for that reason.

She then turned to Shuhei, who had turned noticeably red again with her attention on him.

"Um…" she began awkwardly, not quite sure how to deal with a marriage proposal from a guy she hadn't known for even an hour and happened to be the student body vice-president.

"I'm sorry for putting you on the spot," Shuhei apologized, scratching his cheek with his eyes diverted down in embarrassment. "I guess reading too many romantic novels just got to my head."

"That explains why your style of acting was like that," Ichigo frowned, "but that doesn't explain why you actually did it in the first place."

Rukia uttered a small hum of agreement, before questioning, "Why did you… p-propose to me, Hisagi-senpai?" for she reminded herself, he was her senior as a Button.

The dark-haired man seemed to stare off in space for a moment before he spoke. "Do you remember some of the Zippers introduced today?" Rukia nodded, recalling the eccentric group of former Captains that had literally dropped into the ceremony.

"Muguruma Kensei, the tall and muscular dude in combat boots, used to be a mentor of mine," he explained. "He always said I should give 100% and then some in whatever I did, as long as I believed in it. When I saw you, I-" And it was here he cut off, but the gist of his sentence reached the group and Rukia, who felt rather touched.

_This guy, _thought one slightly confused Ichigo, _thinks a proposal is 100% effort for… liking someone at first sight? _

"Thank you for your feelings," Rukia replied, an unsaid "but" hanging in the air for a moment.

"But apparently... I'm already engaged, and… I don't know anything about you yet."

Hisagi quickly whipped his hands in a gesture of understanding. "No, no, I'm fine with that!" he assured her, "And… we can still be good friends, right?" He asked the last sentence in a tone of uncertainty, still feeling guilty for his rash action at the ceremony earlier today.

Rukia blinked at him with large eyes, before they lowered and her lips crept up into a small smile.

"Aa, I'd like that."

They smiled at each other too just as Rukia and Hitsugaya had done earlier, feeling like close friends already, before Rukia brought up a question that had been bugging her ever since she entered her dorm room.

"Hisagi-senpai is a Button, so why are you in a Stitch dorm? Secretary Nanao said all grade levels had buildings of their own."

"Ah, before you came into the ceremony, I had already been assigned to help Captain Hitsugaya get used to school for his Captain duties. I guess I was also assigned to watch over you for Captain Kuchiki."

"And what is Class 3? I heard you mention at the ceremony that you were the vice-president of Class 3."

"Oh, that." Rukia watched with interest as he slipped into a clearly practiced professional tone.

"We have the ranks of Pins, Stitches, Buttons, and Zippers, but when you talk about Classes, there are only 3 this year in this school. Class 1 is the Captains. Class 2 is the Zippers and other less-important faculty members and Class 3 just refers to all the Buttons, Stitches, and Pins or the student body. So as the Class 3 vice-captain, I am also the vice-captain of the entire student body."

Rukia nodded her understanding, before she turned to Ichigo, who was scowling in impatience.

Studying him as closely as the other two boys before him, she debated on whether to ask him another burning question of hers.

_I wonder… if he remembers me from eight years ago..._

"Well this is certainly surprising," Kyoraku Shunsui drawled out.

"It's certainly suspicious," amended Kaname Tosen.

The Captains of the Karukara Institute of Boys were gathered in a room around a large projector screen. No one seemed to be ill at ease with speaking to one of the Captains that had left them to join Hueco Mundo Academy.

The room's walls were a dull light green and had brown wood flooring and several pieces of equipment, some of which included the projector screen, the projector itself, and several large computers that showed charts, data, or current and past security footage.

"Deliver your report, Kaname Tosen," commanded the Captain Commander, who was seated on a firm leather couch directly facing the screen. To the sides of him, the Captains sat on softer brown leather sofas, all watching the screen with rapt attention. The only Captains missing were Byakuya and the 11th and 13th Captains.

"Sir. As I said before-"

"No need to repeat that, I heard," grumbled the veteran Captain.

"Then what would you suggest as a next course of action?"

The Captains and Tosen were silent for some time.

For the first time today, Komamura spoke up.

"Aizen and Ichimaru do not suspect you?"

"On the contrary, they believed my suggestion to return to Karakura Institute would be beneficial for them, if I were to act as a spy."

"But they don't know," sneered Sui-Feng, "that you're the one acting as our spy."

"It seems to me though," piped up Unohana from her seat, "that the likes of Aizen Sosuke would not be that easily fooled by Captain Kaname Tosen, not to slight Captain Tosen."

"Even geniuses may have gaps in their reasoning… or not," quipped Mayuri unhelpfully.

Kyoraku then added his clarifying question to the conversation. "Currently, the students don't know that you officially became a teacher here again last summer, but have switched out to allow another fellow from Hueco Mundo Academy to take your place as part of… the friendly staff and student exchange program, right? Of course, you will still stay for a while here to observe for Sosuke and Gin-kun, and said fellow will… well…

"I guess some of the students will find out today… in their first class."

"Argh, what's with this schedule!"

"Calm down, it's only like that because of the ceremony today. Normally, it's actually pretty easygoing," Hisagi assured Rukia.

Rukia adjusted the messenger bag slung across her left shoulder, conscious of the fact that everyone around her seemed to have designer-brand backpacks, some including Kipling-brand ones. That she didn't have expensive bags like everyone else didn't bother her one bit, but she didn't want to stand out any more than she had already had in the ceremony today.

Currently Hisagi, who had taken it upon himself to show her the ropes of the school as much as he could before first period started, was giving her a rushed tour which would end with her classroom.

"The school is big enough that incoming Pins are given a map so they can find their way around here, but it isn't that hard to get adjusted."

While he took her past the gymnasium, a building of Olympic quality and proportions complete with the latest physical equipment for nearly every sport or activity imaginable, Rukia thought back to her unfinished conversation.

"_Well, let's get on with it," Ichigo scowled. _

"_Huh?"_

"_Don't give me that, you still have to apologize for the kick earlier!"_

_Now Rukia was scowling, and rather heavily towards the orange-haired man in front of her. _

"_For your information, you got what you deserved!"_

"_For what? For saying the truth? Face it, you _are_ pretty small."_

"_Take that back!" she shouted, leaning in front of his face, unaware of the bemused looks of the other two males in the room._

_Ichigo would have said more, but he managed to rein in his anger and annoyance in time to remember why he had wanted to talk to her in the first place. _

Right, I need to ask if we had ever met before, which probably isn't likely anyways, _he thought._

_But before he could even open his mouth, a bell chimed in the dorm, out in the hallway, and presumably, throughout the whole school. _

"_What the-"_

"_That's the warning bell," Hisagi remarked, who quickly picked up a dark navy blue backpack filled with materials and strode over to the closet for his shoes. _

"_Wha-what...?" uttered Rukia, as she watched the boys hurriedly pick up their own backpacks._

"_Don't panic," advised her fiancée as he located his own shoes. "There are only 2 classes today because of the ceremony. We normally have 4 classes in a day. But today's classes are almost twice as longer than usual."_

"_But I'm not sure what materials-"_

"_I'll get you a student kit for today, but it'd be better if you could get your own materials set up by tomorrow," her vice-president promised, who was now in the process of slipping on school shoes. _

_Rukia turned away from him momentarily and saw that Ichigo had already left and that Toshiro was about to step out now. _

"_Captain Hitsugaya," she called out, not sure what she wanted to say._

_He turned back to her, and was silent for a moment, before he said, "Have a good first day, Kuchiki."_

_Then the door closed, leaving a bewildered Rukia with an outstretched hand and the words "You too" on her lips._

"Right," Hisagi said as they neared a classroom marked with a silver plaque labeled "Music History – Hirako Shinji".

"This is your first class, if you've noticed on your schedule," he said as Rukia checked the white schedule form in her right hand. The teacher for this class was the former 5th Captain and is a current Zipper, and he's supposedly a pretty easy-going Captain, so you'll be in good hands."

Rukia nodded, and simply said, "Thank you."

Hisagi nodded in return, a faint blush still on his cheek.

"Right, off to class then."

The petite raven-haired girl watched his disappearing figure for a bit, before she turned open the gold knob of the mahogany wood door.

The sight that greeted her was a large spacious room with white walls and surprisingly ordinary vinyl chip flooring. Windows dotted the walls on all sides except the front, which was covered by a large blackboard and whiteboard, and the back, which held various music-related posters of instruments and famous musicians. Rukia fancied she could recognize some from her childhood lessons.

Then she noticed a sea of shocked male faces and a… bright orange blob?

_Ah,_ she thought in dismay, _Ichigo's in my class, huh?_ And from the look on said male's face, he didn't seem all that pleased either at the turn of the events.

Also to her dismay, she noticed that no other seat was available except the one to the right of Ichigo, so she resignedly made her way over there.

"And where do you think you're going, squirt?"

She froze in her tracks.

That voice…

"Good to see your cute reactions are the same as ever, Kuchiki."

How could this be?

The figure strode towards the front of the class from the doorway, and huffed as he set down books, folders and other miscellaneous items on the glass desk in front of him, which already supported a sleek black laptop and writing utensils.

He then proceeded to stand in front of the class, hands on his hips, and surveyed them with one sweeping look.

"Right then, Shinji's coming soon, so I'll introduce myself first."

How could this be?

Rukia, who could bear it no longer, whirled around on the spot and beheld a face she had almost forgotten about in the hullabaloo of the morning, one that she had thought she would never see again.

This was…

"Yo, Kuchiki! Guess I'm your music assistant teacher again!"

_Impossible_.

"_K…Kaien…dono…"_

* * *

**Super-long-author-note:** Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy!

**PLEASE READ THIS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.** Ahaha, poor Rukia somehow forgot about the apparently alive-but-supposed-to-be-dead Kaien with all the things going around her. This is going to get pretty serious, so if you wanted a light-hearted romance fic… (T.T) I'm sorry. I hope that the length of this makes up for the long wait, by the way.

Um, if you haven't gotten used to my writing style or haven't noticed, I like descriptions. It helps me to visualize and pretend I'm there. If any of my readers have read the Eragon series, I recommend you do so. The descriptions are so fantastic that I can "see" everything going on. Also, it helps me to remember details about places and people. So yeah, hence the dorm room description. What a lovely room…

Rukia pretty much is sorting things out between the three boys that will make life for her pretty hectic in this chapter and getting adjusted to this school. I think I will have trouble assigning the Captains subjects they could teach, but we'll see.

Plans for this fic… I don't think I'm confident in my strength or commitment to start my other plot bunnies yet until this is done. Sorry for being selfish. I just hope you guys enjoy this and go along with the ride. Thanks so much for the reviewers and readers of this fic, and my other fics! Thank you also for alerts and favorites!

Remember, making an account doesn't take too long, and you're not forced to write stories. It makes it easier for me to express my thanks and thoughts with you if you do! Really? I only have sent out 6 (now 7) chapters and I already have close to 30 reviews? It's all thanks to you wonderful guys!

**To vic**: I'm glad as always that you find it interesting, but do you mind elaborating on what part(s) was/were interesting? Thanks!

The rest of the reviewers logged in, so I have replied to you all as soon as possible through review reply. Thanks so much all of you, anonymous or not!


	8. PE Problems Please

**Not-so-long-author-note:** Hey! This is the eighth chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, **SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.**

This is rated **T** for mild language.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

* * *

**It Takes Two to Make a Heart – P.E. Problems Please **

Rukia remembered having called Kaien a Renaissance man, after he had taught her what that meant in her music history lesson. And it really wasn't that far of a stretch.

"…_And the eyes of the art and music world fixated its gaze on people like Leonardo da Vinci, who seemed to be unable to do any wrong. Blessed with an innate talent for seemingly everything, with a capricious attitude to life in general and an extraordinary precocious mind… Bah!"_

_Rukia flinched as the last part of the sentence was uttered in a short bark of frustration. Not a second later, a book whizzed by her head, chucked by its irate owner, to crash into a tree behind her, showering her with an abundance of leaves. _

"_K-kaien-dono! What was that for?"_

_Said male grumbled a few times to himself, seemingly ignoring her for the time being. She quieted then, in favor of studying his distracted face, something she still had difficulty bringing herself to do when his aquamarine eyes were focused on her. _

_His strong jaw line led to a powerful neck that gave way to large broad shoulders and an equally broad chest, now clothed in a casual plain white T-shirt and jeans. Even his currently crouched figure couldn't hide his long legs and toned, but not overly muscular arms. _

_Her eyes slid up to his face again, noting his aristocratic nose, and his bright eyes, with pronounced eyelashes on the bottom, visible underneath his deep, dark spiky purple hair. _

_When he suddenly stood up, she didn't flinch, and watched as he made his way over to her direction to pick up the book, dust it, and sit down next to her on the smooth log._

"_Sorry Kuchiki, the book was being too annoying with its vocabulary," Kaien explained, as if it were a normal everyday and justifiable reason to fling books around. She only hummed in understanding, not knowing what else to say. _

_Kaien set the book, a rather thick book with a brown cover, into the grass at his feet, the same grass that extended out in front of the two into a lush garden, dotted with stone sculptures, ponds filled with koi fish and quaint bridges. _

_Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stated, "Basically, the book says in about five pages that Leonardo da Vinci was what we would call a "Renaissance man" in his era."_

"_What is a "Renai…ssance man?" Rukia questioned, stumbling over the pronunciation, and flushing under his teasing grin at her troubles. _

"_Hm… Well, the book goes on and on and yadda-yadda about it, but in a nutshell, it means as close as to a perfect guy as you can get. Not exactly in looks or money, but a guy who's good in everything he does. Leonardo, like you learned just a couple of hours ago, was not only an artist, but an inventor and smart-ass scientist, among other things."_

_Rukia looked on as he continued to explain, a single thought replaying itself over and over in her head. _

_The man before her, Shiba Kaien, was to her, the living embodiment of a Renaissance man._

And he still was today, even when he was supposedly dead.

* * *

Ichigo swore at times that trouble was a puppy starving for affection, one that dogged your ankles and followed you where you went. He swore that puppy followed him 24/7. Seeing yet another facet of the mysterious Kuchiki unfolding in front of him, he wondered, not for the first nor last time, why everything was exploding around one Kuchiki Rukia.

Said troublemaker now had her gaze transfixed on the man in front of her, who was grinning down at her in a sheepish manner.

"K-kaien…-dono…?" she managed to croak out.

It seemed almost deafening for Ichigo as well as the class, silent as they were. But the two objects of their gawking paid them no heed. To him, it was as if they were wrapped in their own little bubble-world.

"Yo," the tall man uttered in a softer tone. Rukia opened her mouth, seemingly ready to say something, before she subsided and instead settled for gazing up at him with conflicted emotions.

He was alive.

He was alive, standing in front of her, like the day that they had first met, as if he had never left.

He was alive, with his aquamarine eyes, his bold lower eyelashes, and his untidy long dark hair.

He was alive, with his rough attitude, his carefree attitude, his warm attitude, and his vibrant and lively attitude.

He was _alive_.

Eyes watering with tears threatening to spill over, the petite girl had finally mustered up the courage to say something half-intelligible when the classroom door burst open with a resounding bang… as if someone's impudent foot had smashed it inward. Startled, she swept around and Kaien simply whistled in appreciation as Hirako Shinji finally strolled in with a deadpan expression firmly planted on his face, oblivious to the fact that he had blatantly kicked a respectable school's door inward as if it were an everyday thing. Rukia's new classmates gaped at the phenomenon and watched the door bouncing off the wall in a mesmerized fashion before snapping attention to their soon-to-be music history teacher.

Tall and lanky, he was dressed in a simple orange button-up shirt and long black pants that fit his thin legs. A colorful and clashing tie sagged in a slightly unprofessional manner in front of his shirt, drawing attention to the ends of his blond bob cut and his bared front teeth. With a hunched back, he shuffled to the front of the classroom and addressed the classroom in a bored tone.

"Why don't we just skip the dandy instructions and shimmy our way down to some good ol' music? I could use some jazz, my daily cup of joe…" he trailed off when he noticed Kaien and frowned.

"And who're you?" he drawled flippantly, as if he didn't care about the response either way.

Kuchiki and Shiba both blinked at his question, before Kaien recovered and trumpeted loudly: "Shiba Kaien, your new-"

"My new teacher-assistant, right?" Shinji finished, already sifting through the papers Kaien had left on the desk and not sparing him a glance.

"What the-! You bastard, I bet you knew already!"

"I never said I didn't know you explicitly, did I, idiot?"

"Why you sonuva-!"

The class was left floundering at Hirako's nonchalant antics and the current bickering, utterly confused as to how to respond to the situation.

Rukia sighed. She was in for a weird class, alright. Not to mention she'd have to sit next to Ichigo for awhile. But… and here she glanced up at Kaien, up at his white office suit-clad self, who was now restraining himself from having a full-blown verbal war with his superior, though he was close to the boiling point.

But…

"Let's start the lesson, shall we?"

It was all right…

"You ignoring me now?!"

Because…

…It would be worth seeing his face again.

* * *

"You're finally here!" griped an amused Kyoraku Shunsui as he stepped back from the hug he had imposed on his guest. Drawing back, he observed his companion, who was looking worse for the wear with his clammy skin and pale face.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," managed Ukitake Jushiro, pushing back a strand of white hair back from his forehead. The bang stubbornly settled in front of his face, contrasting with his brown eyebrows. He sighed in defeat. The 13th Captain hobbled around his new desk for the school year and settled himself down.

Kyoraku made himself comfortable in one of the chairs in front of the mahogany desk, and propped his sandal-clad feet on top, earning him a mild reprimand of "Kyoraku!" which didn't hold any real conviction or displeasure.

After exchanging some pleasantries about the weather and such, both occupants of the room narrowed their eyes and eyed the door. Kyoraku stood up and muttered what sounded like a short chant. Ukitake watched him settle back down and questioned, "Is it…?"

"Mhm, Kido," his partner confirmed, grunting as he settled himself back into the chair, "our lovely automatic command system."

The white-haired captain nodded in understanding. A secret to all but the Captains and Zippers, laced throughout the entirety of the school were microphone-like structures inside the ceilings and walls, all wiring back to a main command-control room that Kurotsuchi Mayuri took delight in monitoring. Though they recognized and responded to the Captains and Zippers based on voice samples given beforehand, they couldn't record anything else. It would be messy if it were to be found by any students, but in technical terms, it wasn't infringing on anyone's privacy.

The Kido system helped the senior members of the school accomplish a variety of commands, including the order to sound-proof a room like the brunette Captain had.

"The only drawback," Ukitake observed as Kyoraku leaned back in his chair, "is that we have to be in the school to utilize it. Anywhere else… we're at a disadvantage."

"So serious already in topic," jested his friend, but the look in his eyes was serious.

There was a companionable silence for a while, marred only by the low hum of the sound-proof system Kyoraku had activated.

"So you've heard that Kaien's back, right?"

"Aa, I did. Strangely, it wasn't as shocking as I thought it'd be."

Shunsui nodded, and remarked, "Shinji-kun's picked up some weird vibes from him and sent a report to me earlier this morning."

The pale captain's eyes saddened but he understood. "I don't want to be suspicious of him," he admitted, his left thumb stroking the back of his other hand. "Not after everything's that happened to him."

This time, a depressed silence hung over them, before Ukitake cleared it up by stating, "I can't imagine what Rukia and Byakuya must be thinking right now."

Shunsui had long dropped his cheerful and flippant façade and was now stared pensively out a window, observing a rowdy group of students blissfully unaware of the secrets the school held and the chaos that was likely to follow.

"Things will not end well, hoo boy."

* * *

Rukia left class a little more buoyed from having met Kaien and promising him to catch up later, but her mood soured instantly when she took a look at her next class.

Kendo?

Well, in hindsight she mused as she trudged down a hallway, this should have been the first clue that something was off, if not seriously, with Byakuya nii-sama's mind.

"_Kendo, nii-sama? But isn't it opt-?"_

_Said brother held up one hand to interrupt her as he sat at his polished desk, poring over the many documents spread over the glass surface. Rukia waited patiently for him to elaborate, used to the awkward stretches of time between his answers. When he finally answered again, he didn't look up at her. That too, she was used to._

"_The academy I have enrolled you into is suitable for budding female social elites. Self-defense is also vital for some of the more prominent members. Take care to learn and not disgrace the Kuchiki name."_

_Face guarded, she bowed in understanding and silently retreated backwards out of his office. Once outside, she let a small smile creep onto her face. _

It had been a slightly odd but touching act from an otherwise aloof brother, to ensure her self-defense when the class itself was only optional. It had also been one of a few instances in her memories where he had openly or as openly as his personality permitted, acted as a brother would.

All of this did no good to alleviate her fears of her next class though. Not when her classmates and soon-to-be sparring opponents were all male.

* * *

"By the way, Kyoraku…" began assistant vice-principal Ukitake, "doesn't the kendo class start today?"

His fellow assistant vice-principal hummed in agreement, currently more interested in appraising an artfully done portrait of himself.

"I thought it was interesting that they would have such a class here, but which of the Captains or Zippers will be teaching it? We're all fairly qualified, but we're spread out as it is teaching other subjects," Ukitake pushed.

The brunette companion broke his gaze from his portrait and stared thoughtfully into space.

"If I remember correctly, Old Man Yama said…"

* * *

In an open, meticulously trimmed grass field, the kendo class' instructor sneezed once and scowled.

Barefoot and clad in a sleeveless white tank and dark navy cargo shorts that showcased his muscular frame, he peered around his new "classroom", eyeing the large marble shed stocked with an array of weapons and the perimeters of the field, whose borders stretched out farther than the eye could see. Off in the distance, the hazy outline of the main school campus was visible, behind the concrete locker rooms, which were closer in comparison.

As the teacher continued to observe his surroundings, the Stitch class watched him nervously. All students, including Rukia, were garbed in short and airy white T-shirts and simple red _hakamas_ on the bottom. General footwear consisted of sneakers.

"All right," he growled, "Normally I wouldn't give a shit about teaching class, but seeing as we'll be fighting and some of you look strong, I'll stick around."

"Jeez," muttered Ichigo, who was standing to the side of Rukia, "out of all the Captains, we had to get _Zaraki Kenpachi_."

_Out of all the groups of students possible, I just had to get _Kurosaki Ichigo_ in my PE class as well,_ thought Rukia darkly.

"Kenpachi?" questioned Keigo Asano, one of Ichigo's "acquaintances" on a good day, a "stranger" on bad days.

"One of the more violent Captains, or so I've heard," murmured Rukia, never taking her eyes off of the imposing man's back.

Zaraki Kenpachi was almost a legend, even among the remarkable Captains. All sorts of rumors had spawned about the famous or infamous 11th Captain ever since he had blazed his way through an international-level kendo competition. Though some of the rumors, to his credit, were true, the majority were false. This, however, didn't deter the formation of a group of followers, who worshipped and honored his strength with an almost religious devotion.

Though he only owned one company compared to the Captains, it mainly dealt with supplying and training the world's strongest athletes, whether in strength, swordplay, speed or flexibility. In fact, many of the world's Olympians had originated from this company and thousands more clamored to enter to raise their prospective chances of a victory.

However, Rukia contemplated, she had no inkling as to who the Captain's companion was, a short girl with bright bubblegum-pink-colored hair that curled up at her shoulders, who was watching with an air of curiosity. What was even stranger about the newcomer was the odd level of maturity and experience in her eyes as she surveyed the students in front of her.

"Alright you maggots! Line up for roll call!"

His raspy voice carried far and coupled with his impressive build and height, the boys and Rukia were left scrambling to obey. Holding a clipboard with several papers, he gave a cursory glance over the list, then over the frightened and stiff line of students.

"Eh, looks about the right number. Everyone's here," Kenpachi uttered nonchalantly, flinging the clipboard into the grass beside him.

All students sweatdropped at his action, wondering at his flippant attitude towards their attendance.

"Alright you weaklings, listen up! Pick a partner, one of those wooden sticks and start swinging!"

Everyone was too scared to voice the obvious dilemma except for one courageous, if not stupid Keigo Asano.

"But sir," he piped up, "you haven't taught us how to-"

The swish of a blade and a few cut strands of grass and hair was the answer he received and he clammed up immediately, shivering on the spot.

"Get to it!" the huge man grumbled, before he lumbered over to his small companion, who was steadily appearing more impatient by the minute.

"Ken-chan, where's the exciting thing you promised?" she complained loudly, as the two of them settled into the grass and stared out at the fumbling and confused students. He grunted, and his eyes focused with an uncharacteristic lack of bloodlust and more of seriousness at the only female in the group, who was still looking warily for a partner.

"Hell if I know yet," he retorted, eyeing the small girl, before returning his gaze to the older female on the field.

"But the old fart says it's right here."

Farther out in the field and unbeknownst to the pair's conversation, Rukia nervously eyed the milling crowd of boys, trying to pick one who might go easy on her. Though she had promised Byakuya nii-sama to give her all in the kendo class, she was painfully aware that even her fit physique may not take well to the blows of an average boy.

"Oi, you!"

Rukia ignored the call, which was likely meant for another and continued to rake her eyes through the group of males still grabbing wooden sticks from the nearby shed.

"Hey!"

Slightly annoyed, she turned to face the source of the yells, only to lock eyes with one Kurosaki Ichigo.

The orange-haired teen jogged up to her with little effort, only panting slightly. She noticed he held two sticks in his hand before meeting his eyes again.

"I have a name you know," she reminded him as he finally closed the distance between them.

"Okay, okay," he muttered, rolling his eyes, "Do me a favor and spar with me."

Eyeing his muscular build in apprehension and suspicion, she questioned him with a "Why should I?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Ichigo said "Look, long story short, I can't go all out in front of that instructor." Seeing her confused expression, he explained, "There're just some reasons, okay? I promise I won't go all out with you."

Somehow, hearing the promise of an easy spar from the fiery-haired teen irritated her. Casting aside her earlier fears and with veins popping, Rukia shouted, "I'm not a weak little girl! Come at me with all you have!"

Ichigo blinked, before he sighed.

"You asked for it."

Tossing his spare wooden sword to her, he settled into a confident and relaxed stance. Rukia fumbled and played hot potato with her stick before managing to grasp it, and noted his stance.

_He's done kendo before,_ she mused, _judging by how he's gripping and standing._

She tried to copy his stance and found it awkward to match the angle of his legs. As the two stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move, they became aware of a commotion, growing louder in volume as if it was approaching them.

"I'm telling you, I don't think we're supposed to be throwing these sticks like javelins in a _kendo_ class."

"Aw, it's fine, the teacher's not paying attention anyways," answered a snotty voice.

"Hey, stop it man, if we're caught, we're dead!" yelled a panicked voice.

There was a whooshing sound, and several cries rent the air.

"Hey, you crazy?!"

"Run, you guys!"

"Look out!"

"Look out!"

"Look out!" Rukia stared in wild confusion as Ichigo ran towards her with a horror-struck face, arms outstretched for something seemingly behind her.

Whirling around to deal with the problem, she suddenly saw an explosion of dizzy colors before black overtook and swallowed her vision.

* * *

**Super-long-author-note:**Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy!

**PLEASE READ THIS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.**Holy shoot, to the people who've read this fic on my old account, it's been several months since I've last updated, right? T.T Goodness, I think misfortune likes me. I'm really sorry for making you wait guys!

To any readers of my works on my original account as well: First off, the lung and stomach cancer battle. It's actually going pretty good! My condition's been getting better but it still takes a chunk of each day for treatments, medicine, etc. And I have finals and (excuse my language) a crapload of projects right now on top of that. Not to mention this chapter was lost when my computer crashed and decided to hate me. I felt pretty depressed about that and had some author's block about rewriting the whole thing. But I got the kinks out, and here you go! I also had to move (won't say where) to a cleaner environment in hopes of recovering my health. By the way, I'm NOT a ripoff of the author **Suisho x Hirako Shinji**. I AM that author, but I can't seem to access my account no matter what I do, so I had to create a new one. Sorry if you have to favorite/alert/review again. Feel free to do so or not. I will fix the small details but no plot details as I upload each chapter again. I'm sorry once again, and welcome back to those who're still staying with me! Love you all!

I still won't be able to update fast even with my slow recovery. I haven't gotten around to writing the next chapter at all. Expect a few weeks or even one or two months in between updates. I won't forget you though!

Zee, um, so Kaien's apparently alive and there's going to be a lot of hullabaloo. Otherwise, expect a lot of flashbacks. For a monumental event like this to be of significance, you need to have some background, so I'll be building that up. Yeah, I know the Ukitake and Kyoraku scenes were drawn out, but little scenes like that help me to build character, for those who are less familiar with some Bleach characters' personalities. Hoped it showed their friendliness and friendship. Yah, welcome Zaraki fans, if there are any among my readers. He finally appears and he already expects something of Rukia. This (and everything else) will be explained as the chapters progress. This chapter wasn't very exciting romantically, but I think a story should pace itself.


	9. Oneshot - Please read author's note

**Not-so-long-author-note:** Hey! This is the 4th chapter for When It's Rukia, but as an oneshot. I'll say more in the author note below, **SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.**

**HEY, THIS IS CLEARLY NOT A NEW CHAPTER TO _IT TAKES TWO TO MAKE A HEART_. ALSO, I AM NOT SUISHO x HIRAKO SHINJI 2. I AM HER FRIEND. THE REASON SHE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO UPDATE FOR A MONTH IS BECAUSE a) SHE HAD FINALS; b) SHE WAS STILL WRITING IT BEFORE c) SHE CAUGHT SOME WEIRD FLU (EITHER SWINE OR THAT WEIRD NEW MUTATION GOING AROUND LATELY) RIGHT WHEN HER IMMUNE SYSTEM WAS PRETTY BATTERED. SHE HAS WEAK LUNGS TO BEGIN WITH SO SHE'S HAVING A HORRIBLE TIME RECOVERING. SHE TRUSTS ME WITH HER ACCOUNT AND ASKED ME TO UPLOAD THIS CHAPTER OVER THE PHONE (IT'S CONTAGIOUS). SHE HATES THAT SHE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO UPDATE FOR YOU GUYS OR WRITE BACK TO HER "dear reviewers" WHO SHE REGULARLY CHATS WITH. SHE ALSO HATES POSTING UNRELATED THINGS LIKE OMAKES ON A FIC, BUT SHE'S REALLY SORRY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A MONTH. SO THIS, SHE SAID, WAS ON HER OLD ACCOUNT BEFORE SHE LOST ACCESS TO IT AND WAS FAVORABLY REVIEWED. SHE HOPES YOU GUYS LIKE IT AND DOESN'T KNOW WHEN SHE'LL BE BACK, BUT SHE SAYS SHE LOVES HER REVIEWERS AND READERS AND SAYS THANK YOU.  
**

**SHE ALSO SAID TO DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO Animevy116; Quill Princess; sparkleflower; and Ashezo, WHO "are wonderful reviewers and even more fabulous friends".**

This is rated **T** for mild language.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

* * *

**When It's Rukia – Kurosaki Ichigo**

Despite his Shinigami partner's woeful knowledge of Humans and their customs, she was understanding, agreeable and curious about them, making it easy to educate her. Not to say that she didn't have her own questions and opinions, but she rarely looked down on them, having been human herself at one distant point in time, though she held no memory of her time as one. It was an errant thought that had Ichigo curious now and then.

Surely, like other Shinigami, Rukia hadn't just… "poofed" into being. There had to have been a more mortal starting point along the line for them. Shinigami didn't just pop into existence like Rukia had popped into his life the night she had saved him and his family.

He looked up from his history textbook, which was already taking its toll on his hands, wrists, and arms that supported it above his head. His head, wreathed in short and fiery orange hair, was nestled in his pillow, with his powerful and toned body that followed it sinking into the mattress of his bed. A quick glance over to his open closet presented to him the image of one short Kuchiki Rukia, tucked in the small space between the wall and sliding door. She was perched on spare mattresses and blankets, poring over the latest issue of her favorite manga, occasionally flipping the pages with a thoughtful look, and swinging her legs absentmindedly. It was a typical scene, but he could not help but feel something – he refused to call it relief – trickle into his chest area.

It had been over a year since he had last seen her after all.

And upon closer examination, the once all-too-familiar scene was not too typical anymore. One of the most noticeable differences was her hair, which was shorter and swung more freely than her previous hairstyle. Privately, he thought this hairstyle suited her more. It was short like her, though he would never say this out loud for the risk of a bruised shin. In addition to her hair, she had also decided to stick with donning the standard Shinigami attire, a black hakama with a simple white sash which fluttered this way and that with each swing of her legs. Then his eyes slid to her face.

He didn't know much about the aging process of Shinigami, but he knew they did grow to some extent, though at a much slower pace than humans. However, he could see signs of maturity on her, ones that did not have to rely on a changed facial structure.

The new addition of the 13th Division armband that sat snugly and proudly on her upper left arm announced her progress in skills and rank, and declared its owner as the rightful holder of the title of the 13th Division Vice-captain of the Gotei 13. Her eyes bespoke of gained wisdom and experience, and the delicate and slender white gloves laid carefully off to the side, though unforgotten, showcased her increased dignity and pride.

How she had grown.

His eyes latched onto the gloves, thinking of the hands that they had snugly fit, the same hands that had righted things again in a way things of this mortal world couldn't…

_Rain. Never-ceasing, unending, relentless rain. It poured over his numb body, but then how could it be numb, when his heart was splintering and the slash wound flared and tinged with pain sporadically? A wound, given by none other than the one person he thought he could trust to help him, to help regain his ability to protect, and to give him a chance, no matter how slim, to see _her_ again. The deeper pain didn't hurt like a lover scorned, or the recognition of failure, but like that of the deepest betrayal. He had put his life in this man's hands, had slaved under the instructions and advice of this stranger, and damn _believed in_ Ginjo, (and he even went as far as to place trust in him) to help him achieve Fullbring and restore his former powers. _

_Now that same man that had given him the power to protect had robbed him of it, walking away with his decoy, Tsukishima. Bastard Tsukishima may be for messing with his friends and family, but Ginjo took the cake for the biggest bastard of them all in this situation. _

"_Noooooooooooooo!"_

_He didn't roar, didn't yell, didn't scream as was his wont, as was his usual when in battle and when agitated. He cried, long and drawn-out, as he had done the night _she_ had left to protect him from Soul Society. The act strained his torn muscles, exacerbating his wound, but he couldn't care less. Just as he couldn't care less about the look of pity that the injured and downed Uryu gave him, though he was remorseful at his friend's plight, who had tried to help him. It was a miracle that he could even make him out through the film of tears obscuring his vision. All the despair, the secret doubts and fears about the troubles his family and friends went through and unleashed itself in that one cry, leaving him feeling empty._

_Feeling empty was better than being full to bursting of despair._

"…_Is he crying? I feel so horrible," mocked Tsukishima, watching Ichigo with fake pity. Ginjo, by this time, had already turned around and started walking away from the grief-ridden scene. Indifferent. Cold. _

"_Let him cry. We've no use for him anymore," he stated callously. "It's unlikely… we will ever meet him again."_

_Somehow, Ichigo managed to find his forgotten voice (how strange that it had not disappeared under the onslaught of grief and horror) and called, "…Give it back…!" Ginjo stopped, his coat darkening under the rain and little droplets that ran down his hair before collecting on his shoes and jacket. _

"_Give it back, Ginjo… Give my power back!"_

"…_What…? You're joking. It's power that _I_ gave back to you. It belongs to _me_!" Ichigo breath caught at this. His eyes widened even further, though such a feat would have been impossible in any other case. But more importantly, what was this man saying?_

_He thought of his friends and his boss, Keigo, Mizuiro, Tatsuki, Ikumi-san, Chad, Inoue. His family… Karin, Yuzu… _

_He couldn't protect anyone…_

"_I'm sparing your life even though you're useless now. The least you could do is thank me."_

_Sparing his life… _

"_Ginjo…"_

Useless.

"_GINJO!" he roared, leaping to his feet in a sudden rush of energy and lunging for the retreating, leather-clad back. Only to be pierced by a sword of light. His pupils wavered in his eyeballs, before swiveling around to focus on the source behind him. Wrong, he off—handedly noted, _sources.

_As he focused on his long-missing father, Urahara Kisuke finished pulling off the cape of what appeared to be invisibility off of him and Kurosaki Isshin. One solemn Isshin and Urahara, that is. _

"…_Dad…? Ura…hara…san…?" He couldn't recognize his voice. It was pitiful, quavering. It was the voice of a child, who had lost everything before his eyes, who couldn't believe that there was even greater despair to come on top of this. _

_It was weak._

_Had his dad and mentor come to steal from him too? They were too late though, there was nothing worth stealing from him. Perhaps they had come simply for his life? He mused on this morbidly, before a trembling hand lifted itself to clutch at the blade that protruded from his chest. His fingers curled around the blade, which now shook in time with his own quaking hands. _

_Another bond, lost. _

"…_So that's it… That is it, then…?" he mumbled, wearily, resignedly, and with no hope at all flecking his tone. His head that he had lowered lifted enough for his eyes to catch his father's unusually somber gaze. Again, something tickled his eyes, and the feeling was so unfamiliar, he almost slackened his grip in shock. _

_Tears. Since when had he last cried? He couldn't remember, it could have been when he had awoken to his mother's mangled body that rainy day, it could have been when _she_ had left to protect him, he couldn't remember. And it wouldn't matter soon anyways, not when he was going to be robbed of everything. _

"_Dad…" he near whimpered, "you too…?" His voice choked up, hiccups and sobs threatening to tear themselves from his throat. "That's… how it is…?"_

_His father continued to remain serious, but then again, it would have been weird if he weren't in this situation. What was Ichigo hoping for? For the return of his bright, silly, easy-to-abuse father? His happy-go-lucky fool of a father? But this character did not appear, overshadowed by something heavy and sad in Isshin's eyes. "…You idiot. It wasn't me who stabbed you," his father chastised, unusually gentle compared to his usual blunt comments. "Look closely."_

_Look? Look at where, at what, at who? Look where, when he had lost sight of all things precious and dear to him? _

"_You should be able to see their form by now."_

_Their? A person? People? But who…?_

"_Just who…is holding that sword!"_

_His eyes continued to dart around the space surrounding Isshin and Urahara, not comprehending. Then his eyes caught something. And all breath whooshed out of him._

He continued to stare at her, thought whether it was the girl in his closet or the girl in that slow, seemingly-fantasy world, he wasn't sure.

Things had sort of just become a blur after that. The restoration of his powers, the fight between the Fullbringers, the arrival of Byakuya, Toshiro, Ikkaku, Renji and Zaraki, _the return of Rukia_. It almost seemed too good to be true. He couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed at Byakuya and Toshiro's entrance, the cold pricks they were in his memories of them, nor could he find exasperation before Zaraki and Ikkaku's bloodlust. He was glad to see Renji who looked stronger yet again, the monster.

But Rukia's return had done many things that any Shinigami's return could have not. Just as her spontaneous, uncalled for, and unwelcomed intrusion into his life that night, that had simply started with a girl walking through his bedroom wall, had done something for him that could not, and would not be able to be replicated by anyone else. She was no cheerful sun; she was in fact one annoying short Shinigami girl who really annoyed him at times. But she was also the one who had kicked him back into shape emotionally and mentally when he couldn't relate to anyone else, had give him the power to protect and had taught him how to forgive himself, for that rainy day that had ended with his dead mother, and started his rain and nightmares.

She was no sun, but what else could he call her when she was the only one who had been able to stop his rainy downpour? No, he mused, still staring blankly ahead at Rukia, she was more like the moon, which seemed to fit with her personality and Zanpaktou fittingly. He didn't think her sword's ice and snow could survive against the sun after all, even if it was created unnaturally by her sword and soul power.

She also resembled the moon, with her cold and unfriendly-looking exterior, but with a pure white aura and personality about her, that lit up everything for others to see at night. It was no sun, but her "light" was enough to end his rain, and that was all that mattered, as far as Ichigo and Zangetsu were concerned.

His lips smirked and grimaced in turns as he dredged up the memories of that night. Well, he couldn't really "dredge" them up, because they were and would be one of his clearest and most pre- ahem, _just_ clearest memories. Memories with their good and bad points, hence his lips' complicated dance.

He smirked again as he looked up to her. Rukia, feeling his gaze, looked up into his eyes curiously from across the room.

"Spit it out Ichigo, what is it?" And that was also something about her that hadn't changed. She always liked to be blunt and head on about things. It was a good quality, one facet of her personality that wasn't irritating or exasperating, and easy to relate to. He had the same trait after all.

His eyes drifted to Sode no Shirayuki, gazed contemplatively and didn't answer. She caught his gaze, and her own eyes drifted down to his line of sight. "What about my sword, Ichigo?"

_Gimme…_

"…the sword, Shinigami."

She started in surprise, and stared at him, her own memories, her own experiences on that night welling up. Her lips parted, and a corner of her mouth curled into a wry smirk, as if she was in on a secret just between them.

_I'm not "Shinigami"…_

That night, when the only conscious souls in front of one little house, one little street… Fought in their own ways, desperately and head-on…

"I'm Kuchiki Rukia."

Who contributed her power, with the death bell already tolling in the back of her head, knowing that for one annoying, fifteen-year old Karakura high school student…

_I'm…_

Despite the imminent death sentence for her felony, the transfer of Shinigami powers to a human, though said human was clearly beyond normal…

"…Kurosaki Ichigo."

A flash, a surge of transferring powers and one purified Hollow later, had been their beginning, and would always be. No amount of power could change that. In the present, they both smiled at each other in their own unique ways, Rukia with an admonishment of "baka" and a small grin, and Ichigo with a scowl that held no actual ire and some snappy retorts that held no conviction.

Yes, he thought, truth be told, their story had started out simply with two stupid and reckless souls, in front of his house, trying to save everyone with a kind of innocent recklessness; it had survived and toughed out to reach its current chapter right now in his room. And there would surely be many more chapters to come. He would go through everything that had happened for his life to now have gained a new addition in the form of one cheeky Shinigami. He refused to say that he wanted her in his life, wanted her to stay, because it was too superficial.

He needed her.

He needed her, just as much as she had needed him to help her with Hollow missions when she did not have powers, to meet just one more time to properly apologize and atone for dragging him into the world of Shinigami, to help her race (for no matter how outwardly human she seemed to be, she was always and distinctly a Shinigami) in a war against one of the most deadliest of villain masterminds, and to keep her own personal rain at bay, though he was no childhood friend, no brother, no mentor, no acquaintance, but simply an utter _stranger_ that she had complete confidence in, a stranger she had learned to count on in the mere span of two months.

He had come to terms with this fact when she had left for Soul Society, and left him in tatters for those hellish seventeen months. He dreamed of their past memories, dreamed of what could've been, and had shut his closet door, unable to stare at it without becoming remorseful, wistful and what he called "pathetically sad". He had left so much unsaid that he found himself rethinking his thoughts over, like a rehearsal, but when she had come back, he was so dumbstruck, so surprised, so grateful that all his organized thoughts had fled his brain like lesser Hollows did before his Zanpaktou, Zangetsu.

It had hurt, that one of his… he didn't know what to call her frankly. She wasn't his girlfriend or lover, nor was she simply a friend. She was certainly a comrade, a _nakama_, but an indescribable type of comrade, and she simply remained in his life a special category of her own. No matter what she was exactly, it had hurt that he couldn't trade verbal blows with someone that wasn't annoyingly feisty in a manner like Keigo, who could be mature and wise, whose fascination with the Human World made it entertaining to watch her, and could always, without fail, kick him back into shape and support and believe in him, even if the whole damn world pointed fingers at him and proclaimed his opinions, hell, his existence, wrong.

He sometimes couldn't believe that she was still in front of him. He hadn't brought up the silent questions that still hung in the air between them, like a poisonous fog. _When are you going back? Will you ever return back, if that time came?_

No, he shook his head. He shouldn't dwell on that. What mattered was that he could protect once again, and that he had one of his most important comrades back in his life again, which warranted some hefty verbal lashings, ahem, to make up for her absence.

Before he had even gotten out his first snide remark, Rukia lifted her head again to warmly say, "I'm glad to be back in this small closet." _I'm glad to see this room and you again. _

"Che, it shouldn't be that small. It's not like you've grown at all in seventeen months." _I missed you._

"Say that again!"

He let himself relax into one of their verbal wars again, warm, secure, and comfortable in his room, his history textbook long forgotten in a corner of his bed. The day was sunny out, with not a chance of rain, physically or mentally, and a promise of a day together with his friends, family, and Rukia.

And he wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

**Super-long-author-note:** Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy! I have **lung cancer**, so my updates will be slow, but I'll try my best!

If any readers that read this also read **When It's Rukia**, you'll notice this was supposed to be the 5th chapter. Yes, but I received 3, yes **3**, private messages stating that it was good enough to be an oneshot, so I thought I'd just repost it as an oneshot to see how people like this particular chapter. No changes were made. New readers, welcome! I hope you didn't find this too heavy and in character. Currently, it's my favorite chapter in **When It's Rukia**, one of my other fics. Please check out my other fics if you want. Reviews appreciated. ^^

So, this has some Fullbringer Arc mentions, and I hope nobody is angry with me for spoiling because I did put a spoiler warning up top. Canon hasn't gotten far enough past the Fullbringer Arc to allow me to create a plausible situation, so I just focused on what already happened to Ichigo, and his thoughts.


	10. Upset at Sunset

**Not-so-long-author-note:** Hey! This is the ninth chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, **SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.**

This is rated **T** for mild language.

**Warning: Possible spoilers**

* * *

**It Takes Two to Make a Heart –Upset at Sunset  
**

It was cold.

It was bitterly cold but a lone figure stood unfazed by it all.

…It was also white.

The small being gazed upwards at the pale gray and gloomy sky. Snow fell silently around the figure, which outstretched a small gloved hand to catch a flake. With a sibilant hiss, the flake instantly melted into a droplet.

The being recoiled in horror and let the drop join its brethren on the ground. A long, mournful wail was directed towards the unforgiving, cold sky and the white, white snow.

It was cold.

It was also white.

And that was why the figure did not notice the ground which it now stood upon, the ground the droplet had merged with.

A sea of blood red.

* * *

In a discreet corner of a room, Rukia stirred from her fretful sleep. She didn't open her eyes immediately, too intent on trying to capture the last dregs of her dream. To her frustration, it slipped away and she was left feeling oddly empty and regretful and grudgingly opened her eyes.

Her eyes met with a smooth white ceiling, tinted a soft yellow from the sunset pouring through the window to the right of her bed. Feeling oddly tired, she prepared to settle back into sleep when her mind screeched to a halt.

_Sunset? _

She blinked and again stared outside the window, which she found to her horror, was indeed a ruddy-red and orange that could only be sunset.

"How…?" She began, before she was startled by a small shuffling to her left.

Spinning around, she came face to face with a vaguely familiar face.

"You…" she trailed off.

"Ishida Uryu," the male prompted, adjusting his glasses before he resumed staring down at her. "I was assigned to watch over you while you rested."

"Hah," Rukia replied, having nothing better to offer. She glanced around the room, which she now recognized as a hospital room. She returned her attention to the dark-haired Button, who had straightened from his leaning position against the wall beside her bed.

As impeccably dressed as he was during his brief time on stage, he strode over to the side of her bed, remaining a respectable distance away.

"Does your head hurt? Do you remember anything?"

Rukia frowned.

"My head?"

As soon as she had finished speaking, a memory of panic and chaos flashed. Out of reflex, her hand shot up towards the front left of her head and she hissed.

"You were injured."

"Huh?" Rukia murmured in confusion, still tenderly grasping her head.

"You were injured," he repeated, but his eyes narrowed as he took in her reaction. She was looking at him, looking at him in confusion, but he could tell she wasn't looking at _him_ anymore. Her eyes were clouded over with something he didn't care to delve into right now, so he let it be and filed it away for later.

Rukia suddenly started, and dropped her hand to clench it at her side. That too, he noted.

"Right, I was prot-… hit by a kendo stick," she acknowledged, the vestiges of her confusion fading.

"Sorry for having you look over me," she apologized politely and he raised a hand in dismissal.

"It's no problem."

They sat in some silence until she decided to ask a question she had been pondering about since the assembly.

"You must be busy being a treasurer and a secretary during your busiest year," she observed, to which Ishida shrugged.

"It's only necessary to become a doctor in the future," he intoned in a flat voice and something in his voice rang a familiar tone with her.

Silence for a few moments.

"You don't want to become a doctor."

He flicked his eyes up to her past his dark blue bangs and scrutinized her closely.

"I admit that's a very astute observation," he remarked, "but it is of no significance." He pushed his glasses up his nose.

She frowned, almost able to see him automatically throwing up mental walls around himself.

"Is it really alright to push yourself to do something you don't want to do?" she queried, and he let loose a slightly irritated sigh, as if he had had to deal with the same question in the past.

"That doesn't matter, does it? What matters is-"

"No! You're wrong!" she cried vehemently, surprising both him and herself with the intensity of her outburst.

"No, I mean…" she trailed off, slightly embarrassed, "I, I knew a… person, and in the end, giving up on their dream… just made them more miserable-"

"But successful, right?"

She started to say something, but stopped, a little pensive.

"It's not that I completely disagree with your thinking," he began, trying to smooth the slight tension, "but when reality hits you in the head, it's hard to keep with your ideals."

Hits… Head…

Rukia grasped her head absentmindedly and was thrown back in time to a memory untouched for many years.

"…_Amazing," had been the first word to tumble out of her mouth upon her arrival. And she had fair reason to. _

_The traditional Japanese-style home in front of her was so large and vast that it seemed more appropriate to call it a mansion. With simple but elegant and aesthetically pleasing architecture and spacious rooms and corridors, it seemed a place fit for clans of old Japan. _

_To the right of her current position sprawled an impressive Zen garden, while to the left, she could see branches after branches of hallways leading to presumably other rooms of the household. The rice paper doors seemed deceptively fragile and cheap but were sturdy and thick enough that not even shadows inside of the rooms could be discerned. _

_Padding along behind the servant, she couldn't help but feel out of place. Though a servant, the elderly man in front of her clearly wore a yukata of a higher quality than the finest commoner-level yukata and walked with a poise and grace only possible through rigorous training in etiquette. _

_A glance at her own clothes and feet only presented to her an image of a bumbling commoner girl still garbed in the dirty white dress she had been accosted in. In fact, the state of filth her clothes (if it could even be called that) and her body were in made her wary of walking in the halls lest she dirty it. _

"_We are here," the servant gravely announced, stopping in front of a door that to her, seemed no different than the other numerous doors that dotted the mansion. She gave a quick glance at the servant's face and just as quickly flicked it down. _

_What cold eyes…_

_Sensing that she was to enter the room, she hesitantly bowed to the man, wincing as she felt the oily, clumped and tangled strands of her hair flop against her face with the movement. Grasping an inverted wooden handle, Rukia entered a room that seemed to be a private bath, a rare luxury in even the largest of Japanese homes. _

"_Clothes have been provided. You are to meet Byakuya-sama within an hour," came the voice of the servant outside, who had closed the door behind her. Rukia found herself nodding in replying, then remembering that he could not see her, blurted out, "Thank you."_

_Hearing no reply, she chose to think of it as him already leaving though her eyes betrayed her hope, showing the silhouette of the still present yet coolly silent presence. _

_The room's walls and floors were wooden with the exception of a large circular depression in the center of the room, which had circular steps leading down to the fairly-shallow center. The water steamed as if recently-heated and a wooden protrusion in the center supported bottles of cleansing oils, towels and clothes. _

_She was just beginning to awkwardly strip herself of her clothes when the door slid open behind her and she whirled around, clutching her clothes to her chest. It seemed to be a female servant this time. The male servant, it seemed, had finally left. _

_Still incredibly self-conscious, and wary, Rukia did not move to remove her clothes from in front of her. The servant executed a short bow in front of her and moved to receive her clothes. Rukia instinctively stepped backwards and clutched the torn and dirty white dress to herself and shook her head. _

"_I-I, I'd like to keep this," she stammered, "…please…" she added. The servant seemed somewhat surprised but made no comment. Setting the dress carefully on the floor around the bath, she slid into the bath, uncomfortable at the display of her body in front of another person, though female. _

_The servant gasped quietly, as if she couldn't help herself. Rukia quickly slipped gratefully into the warm water, hiding the object of surprise. When the servant began to approach her, Rukia hastily added, "I can wash myself," fixating her gaze on the water as if it were an interesting specimen. _

_The servant again seemed surprised, but simply bowed and backed out of the room and closed the door on the way out. _

_Finally alone with her privacy, she shivered at the pleasant sense of cleanliness the warm water already afforded her mud-caked skin. She slipped further into the bath until she was chin deep in water. Before she reached for the scrubs and soaps, she carefully dipped her left hand into the water and eventually trailed it up behind her body, starting from the left side of the back of her neck and gradually working its way up, following the curve of her head. Groping all the while, a rough protrusion._

_Her hand's journey ended at the front left of her head, still touching the protrusion hidden by her jet-black hair. _

"_Ichigo…" she murmured. _

_And tightened her grip on the ropy scar._

"And there's been someone's who's been waiting for you to wake up. I'll go get them now."

She jerked out of her reverie and apologized at her lapse in attention.

Luckily, he didn't seem too miffed and repeated his statement.

She frowned again, and queried with a "who".

Ishida moved to the door to admit the aforementioned person, but before he could reach it, an alarm blared within the room and seemingly outside as well. Both occupants of the room jumped in reflex.

"What? What is it?" cried Rukia, who was unfamiliar with the school's alarms. The alarm was loud and obnoxious, repeatedly executing a grating siren call that almost drowned out all other sound.

Ishida's narrow eyes were almost contracted into a line at this point, scrunched as it was in concentration.

"This tone… emergency 'H'," he muttered, and quickly whirled around to face her.

Again, both people were surprised when the hospital door slammed open and Ishida pivoted to face the intruder with hands defensively positioned in front of his body. Rukia hastily kicked off her blankets and attempted to settle into a battle-ready stance.

To their astonishment, the sight that greeted them was none other than Hitsugaya, who was breathing heavily and clutching the door frame. His hair and captain attire seemed windswept and sweat drenched his face.

"Captain Hitsugaya!"

"Kuchiki, we need to evacuate," he panted, "and Ishida, you know what to do."

He nodded grimly and dashed out with more speed than his thin frame belied.

"What's going on?" Rukia cried in bewilderment.

Hitsugaya didn't answer at first but hurried over to her bedside and crouched slightly, his back to her. Rukia, being in a state of confusion, didn't understand his gesture at first before she realized and colored.

Eyeing his small frame, she hesitantly stated, "I'm fine."

"Just get on," he hastily snapped, shifting a strap on his back out of the way, "there's an emergency."

"Emergency?"

Before he could elaborate, the alarms temporarily halted and a crisp voice spoke through the school intercom.

"Attention all students and faculty, this is not a drill. I repeat; this is _not _a drill."

Not a drill…?

"All students are to follow the instructions of the instructors closest to them and evacuate in an orderly manner."

Why evacuate…?

"This is Emergency Code 'H' in effect."

What emergency…

"We ask that students not panic as the faculty deals with-"

What is there to panic about?

Deal with what?

What…

What is…?

"The Hollows."

_What is going on?_

* * *

**Super-long-author-note:**Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy!

**PLEASE READ THIS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.**I truly don't know what to say here. I'm at loss as to what to say. Let's start off with the most sincere "sorry" I can possible convey through text. I'm sure my dear friend mentioned it in the last oneshot chapter, but I was quite sick with the flu. Normally the flu shouldn't be a problem, but I have had a progressively weaker immunity so it dealt me quiet a blow. I write to you dear readers from the hospital right now, but I'm due to be discharged soon. However, I did mention that updates will be long and few in between, so I hope my readers will bear with the slow speed of updates and enjoy my updates as they come.

I did dedicate this chapter to the friends I made on this site, and I can't stress enough how much I enjoy conversing with them and all the support they, and all the other readers and reviewers have given me. I love my readers, am always ready to talk and open to suggestions. My fault is that I update so slowly and always have setbacks. I hope that my health will rectify itself soon.

I didn't like how I wrote this chapter and it was tough to write because I didn't intend for anything to really happen. This was supposed to be more of a transition chapter, if anything. I did say it was a harem, but not all at once like most shoujo manga. So I took the opportunity to develop Ishida. It's kinda hard writing him, because he sounds formal but he doesn't always speak formally. He also has this dry wit that for the life of me, I find impossible to copy. Anyways, hurrah for cliffhangers because they give me a good starting point for the next chapter.

I do realize I have not had the chance to address a lot of the reviewers as of late, so without further ado, I'd like to reply to the anonymous reviewers. Thank you as always!

**To Lizzy:** You reviewed in Chapter 7 and I apologize for the late reply. I'm glad you like the suspense! I have the most fun writing those parts because I like them in manga. I hope you continue to read and enjoy!

**To Guest: **You reviewed in Chapter 1 it seems. That is actually one of the few times he will call her midget, as I don't think he does so in canon. Hope you enjoy this story!

**To Lizzy:** Unfortunately, you had to wait quite a while for the chapter. I'm actually not sure if you will ever read this chapter or reply, but I thank you for reading my story thus far. Yup, Rukia has a rollercoaster planned out for her at school. Thank you; the recovery is progressing.

The rest of the reviewers logged in, so I have replied to or will reply to you all as soon as possible through review reply. Thanks so much all of you, anonymous or not!


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